CEDAR PARK, Texas — Christmas is just one week away, and more people may be rocking around the Christmas tree as the demand for them has grown “tree-mendously” this holiday season.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, 4 million Christmas trees are sold in Texas each year. The agency’s most recent study found the industry generated more than $700 million.
Local businesses like Brungot Farms in Cedar Park say they’re trying to keep up with the demand, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Owner Aaron Brungot said he started his Christmas tree business in 2014, selling only 500 trees at the time. His business grew slowly over time as he got his name out and expanded his loyal customer base – but he said when COVID-19 hit in 2020, the industry exploded.
“The thing about it was everybody was stuck at home during COVID, and there was actually a lot more disposable income because they couldn’t go out and spend that money on other stuff,” Brungot said. “So that COVID year was probably one of the earliest sellouts that we’ve ever had.”
Since then, he said his sales have tripled. Brungot Farms sold 1,000 Christmas trees in 2020, 5,000 in 2022 and just around 3,000 Christmas trees this year.
Brungot said people wanted a way to connect back to the outside world, family and time-honored traditions after the pandemic.
He said despite inflation driving up the cost of growing, transporting and selling Christmas trees – and bad weather disrupting sales – the industry is staying steady. Those factors also haven’t affected the inventory of trees this holiday season.
“It was nuts. Everybody just wanted a piece of happy. Even this year, with the economy and stuff like that, people want happy and they’re willing to settle for a smaller tree,” Brungot said. “So, we’ve seen a lot of people that usually get bigger trees actually downsize, but still get a tree.”
In anticipation for next year, the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association said it has already purchased 130,000 seedlings.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said starting in 2018, sales of real Christmas trees dropped as people bought more artificial trees. The agency recommends the purchase of real Christmas trees because they’re more environmentally safe. After the holiday season, real Christmas trees can be repurposed and recycled for many uses, like landscape mulch in yards and gardens as soil erosion prevention, nest-building materials for birds, and natural water habitats for fish and wildlife in ponds or lakes.