Christmas tree demand remains high despite inflation

Larry Gurnee carries a $55 Christmas tree he selected with his wife, , Libby Gurnee, background, at a Rotary Club tree sale, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, in South Portland, Maine. Inflation has Americans cutting back on spending in some areas this holiday season but Christmas trees is not one of them, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

For all the worries about inflation and the economy, Americans aren’t scrimping on a centerpiece of many celebrations this holiday season: the Christmas tree.

Retailers from Home Depot and Lowes to mom-and-pop operations raised their prices on trees — but people are still buying them.

Some Christmas tree growers fretted over external factors — high fuel, fertilizer and labor costs — only to rediscover that holiday greenery is largely inflation-proof, even as Americans cut back on retail spending last month.