This year, people will purchase Christmas trees in the Czech Republic at prices roughly five percent higher than last year, with Caucasian firs between 150 and 200 centimeters tall priced between 750 and 1100 Czech crowns. The price increase is attributed to May frosts that damaged fresh fir shoots, according to the Association of Christmas Tree Growers.
Despite the price rise, the association expects a sufficient supply of quality Czech Christmas trees on the pre-Christmas market across all species. However, there will also be less quality trees from Denmark and Poland, and the association warns that traders may attempt to sell frost-damaged foreign trees at dumping prices.
Consumers increasingly demand higher quality Christmas trees, which is why all sold trees now come from specialized plantations that continuously improve in quality. The domestic production area of these plantations currently reaches 719.4 hectares with 64 members in the association.
Typical prices for standard-quality trees in the most popular sizes (150 to 200 cm) are expected to be:
- Blue spruce: 400 to 600 CZK
- Norway spruce: 400 to 500 CZK
- Pine: 400 to 600 CZK
Retail prices may vary regionally. Sales traditionally begin in early December, with harvesting starting in November. The Czech market consumes up to 1.3 million Christmas trees annually, with 90 percent being Caucasian fir and five percent blue spruce.
The association notes a decline in the share of spruce and pine trees compared to 2020 (from 10 percent to below 5 percent). While statistics on natural versus artificial tree usage in the Czech Republic are unavailable, trends from Germany suggest an artificial tree share approaching 5 percent, driven by increased environmental awareness favoring natural trees.
Trees grown in pots, often bought with the intention to plant later, have a low survival rate through the winter and spring, according to the growers.
Christmas trees are cultivated for two to four years in nurseries before being transferred to plantations. Popular trees like firs grow to about 180 centimeters in 15 years from seedlings.