Whether it’s real or artificial, the cost of your Christmas tree could go up this year.

“Like all areas of agriculture, real Christmas tree reproduction, the costs are up,” said Marsha Gray, the executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Board. The organization represents companies that produce real Christmas trees grown in the U.S., and those that are imported.

Gray said input costs for these companies are up 11 to 20 percent. This includes things like fuel, fertilizer, and labor. The wholesale price of a tree will go up 5 to 15 percent, according to a survey of wholesalers by the Real Christmas Tree Board. That doesn’t necessarily mean that cost will be passed on to the consumer.

“Some of those costs are probably absorbing, but a certain amount of it they are passing on to those retailers who then, in turn, need to decide what retail price they’re going to charge,” she said.

According to a survey by the Real Christmas Tree Board, consumers expect inflation to impact real Christmas tree costs by approximately $4 to $12 per tree compared to last year.

“Prices, of course, to move everything are up, so that's one of those things that we consider an input cost but we’re really not expecting any real supply chain problems,” Gray said.

She explained that supply shouldn’t be an issue this year.

“We do have a tighter supply and have had a tighter supply for about 5 to 7 years. Not a big surprise because it takes us 10 years to produce that tree and turn it around. We can't change on a dime,” she said.

What about artificial trees? Last year, the industry was disrupted by supply chain problems.

“Last year, in 2021, the artificial Christmas tree industry had a really tough time because, with the supply chain delays, still many of us got our product late. At Balsam Hill we had 500 containers of Christmas trees and holiday decor come after Christmas,” said Mac Harman, the founder and CEO of Balsam Hill.

During the last holiday season, stores and companies didn’t have enough goods. Harman said for this year’s supply, companies put in orders for less stock. However, this was all purchased during a time when international cargo freight prices were at a high, which could be reflected in the prices consumers see this season.

Experts are still waiting to see if there will be a shortage of artificial trees this year. For now, stores have the stock they need, but prices could fluctuate, according to Harman.

There are some ways you can save regardless.

“Any time you're looking for an artificial Christmas tree, you want to shop early, especially this year,” said Harman. “What we’re seeing this year is that consumers are shopping later for their artificial Christmas trees and their holiday decor.”

Balsam Hill estimates people keep artificial trees for about 10 years.

The turbulence we’ve seen in pricing and supply is more likely to level out next year. “We expect that prices will come down next year because the supply chain costs are down and also raw material costs are down. But everything that was purchased this year was purchased so long ago, prices are up,” Harman said.

If you are purchasing a real Christmas tree, know specific details about height and species before you go pick one out. “Make sure you measure ahead,” Gray said.

She said most tree sellers have websites where you can see what they have and pricing beforehand.

It's that time of the year when most Americans finish Thanksgiving leftovers and venture out in search for the best holiday sales. More importantly, they plan their household centerpiece of the season: the Christmas tree.

While some revel in the scent of a real tree and the joy of picking one out at a local farm, others prefer the simplicity of artificial trees they can reuse for Christmases to come.

But consumers are becoming more climate-conscious, and considering which tree has the lowest impact on our rapidly warming planet has become a vital part of the holiday decision. Plus, choosing a planet-friendly tree will likely get you on Santa's good list.

So, which kind of tree has the lowest carbon footprint — a natural tree or a store-bought plastic tree? It's complicated, experts say.

"It's definitely a lot more nuanced and complex than you think," Andy Finton, the landscape conservation director and forest ecologist for the Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts, told CNN.

We've made a list — and checked it twice — of the things to know before you choose between real and artificial.

The case for artificial trees

It's easy to imagine that reusing an artificial tree year after year is the more sustainable option. But Finton says that if an artificial tree is used for six years — the average amount of time people tend to keep them — "the carbon cost is definitely greater" than for a natural tree.

"If the artificial trees are used for a longer lifespan, that balance changes," Finton told CNN. "And I've read that it would take 20 years for the carbon balance to be about equivalent."

That's because artificial trees are typically made of polyvinyl chloride plastic, or PVC. Plastic is petroleum-based and created at pollution-belching petrochemical facilities. Studies have also linked PVC plastic to cancer and other public health and environmental risks.

Then there's the transportation aspect. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, most artificial Christmas trees are imported into the US from China, meaning the products are carried by fossil fuel-powered ships across the Pacific Ocean, then moved by heavy freight trucks before it ultimately lands on the distributor's shelves or the consumer's doorstep.

The American Christmas Tree Association, a nonprofit that represents artificial tree manufacturers, commissioned WAP Sustainability Consulting for a study in 2018 that found the environmental impact of an artificial tree is better than a real tree if you use the fake tree for at least five years.

"Artificial trees were looked at [in the study] for factors such as manufacturing and overseas transportation," Jami Warner, executive director of ACTA, told CNN. "Planting, fertilizing and watering were taken into account for real trees, which have an approximate field cultivation period of seven to eight years."

What are the benefits of real trees?

On average, it takes seven years to fully grow a Christmas tree, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. And as it grows, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. Protecting forests and planting trees can help stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis by removing the planet-warming gas from the atmosphere.

If trees are cut down or burned, they can release the carbon they've been storing back into the atmosphere. But Doug Hundley, spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association, which advocates for real trees, says the act of cutting down Christmas trees from a farm is balanced out when farmers immediately plant more seedlings to replace them.

"When we harvest the trees or cut them, we plant back very quickly," Hundley said.

If the idea of trekking through a forest to find the perfect tree is intriguing, you can buy a permit from the U.S. Forest Service, which encourages people to cut their own tree rather than buy an artificial one. According to Recreation.gov, cutting down thin trees in dense areas can improve forest health.

But Finton doesn't recommend pulling a Clark Griswold and chopping down a massive tree to haul home — especially if it's in an area you're not permitted for. He recommends getting a tree from a local farm, instead.

"To me, the benefit of going to a Christmas tree farm, which is different than cutting a tree in the forest, is that it concentrates the impact of removing trees into one location," he said. "And it puts the responsibility on the farmers to regenerate those trees."

There's also an economic benefit to going natural, since most of the trees people end up getting are grown at nearby farms. About 15,000 farms grow Christmas trees in the US alone, employing over 100,000 people either full or part-time in the industry, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

"What we're doing by purchasing a natural Christmas tree is supporting local economies, local communities, local farmers and to me, that's a key part of the conservation equation," Finton said. "When a tree grower can reap economic benefits from their land, they're less likely to sell it for development and less likely to convert it to other uses."

Disposal matters

Trees pile up on the curbs after the holidays are over, and the final destination in many locations is landfills, where they contribute to emissions of methane — a powerful greenhouse gas roughly 80 times more potent that carbon dioxide.

"Real Christmas trees ending up in landfills is very much discouraged," Hundley said, adding that there needs to be "separate areas for yard waste where Christmas trees can go."

But some towns and cities repurpose the trees to benefit the climate and the environment. In New York City, trees left on curbs during a certain timeframe are picked up to be recycled or composted. The city sanitation department also hosts an initiative called MulchFest, where residents can bring their trees to be chipped for mulch and used to nourish other trees throughout the city.

"When the tree is finished being used by the homeowner, it's very easy and and common in America to have the tree chipped up into mulch — and that's stored carbon is put back in the ground," Hundley added.

Finton also says former Christmas trees can be reused for habitat restoration; they can help control erosion if placed along stream and river banks, and can even help underwater habitats thrive if they are placed in rivers and lakes.

The end of life for an artificial tree is much different. They end up in landfills — where they could take hundreds of years to decompose — or incinerators, where they release hazardous chemicals.

The bottom line

Weighing the complicated climate pros and cons, real Christmas trees have the edge. But if you choose to deck your halls artificially, get a tree you're going to love and reuse for many years.

Either way, Finton said, people should feel good about their decision and find other ways to tackle the climate crisis.

"It's a debate, but once you've made a decision, you should feel good about your decision, because there's so many other things we can do in our lives that have an even greater climate impact — such as driving less or advocating for policies that expand renewable energy," Finton said. "Enjoy the holidays and focus on other aspects of your life to reduce the impacts of climate change."

The scent of pine and sticky sap waft through the house. A Douglas fir stands tall in the living room, adorned with shiny ornaments and shimmering lights.

Almost nothing is as synonymous with holiday decorations as a fresh-cut evergreen tree.

The tradition began in Germany in the 16th century and spread to other countries over the next three centuries, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. The artificial tree was invented in the United States, with the plastic ones we know today originating in the 1950s and 1960s.

Artificial trees have grown in popularity due to their convenience and longevity, but they don't offer the same mental health benefits as spending time around real trees, some studies report.

Christmas trees for your well-being

Exposing yourself to a natural environment is known to reduce psychological stress, according to a 2018 study published in Behavioral Sciences.

"I would expect that bringing a bit of the great outdoors indoors would affect us positively," said psychologist Sonja Peterson-Lewis, an associate professor at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Multiple studies have shown that forest bathing, mindfully taking a walk through a forest, can have a positive impact on a person's well-being.

One study found that forest bathing reduced people's cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress.

People can still gain some of the same benefits of forest bathing — such as stress reduction — from indoor plants, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research.

Having a real Christmas tree has a plethora of mental health benefits including a reduction in anxiety and depression, said Charlie Hall, professor and Ellison chair in the department of horticultural sciences at Texas A&M University in College Station.

"People tend to be compassionate in the presence of live plants in the house, and of course Christmas trees fit the bill," Hall said.

If you go and pick out your tree at a Christmas tree farm with loved ones, then the mental health benefits are even greater, he said. Selecting a tree with others promotes bonding and exposes you to the outdoors, which boosts your psychological health.

Artificial trees may provide some benefits

Artificial trees have come a long way over the past couple decades, so the more realistic ones could provide some of the mental health benefits a real tree does, Hall said.

However, people would not be able to reap other benefits that only a real tree can provide like improving your immune system, he said. Evergreen trees are great producers of phytoncide, a chemical that increases natural killer cell activity, Hall said. Natural killer cells fight viral infections and are a part of our immune system, he added.

Hall's bottom line? An artificial tree is better than no tree.

There's Christmas in the air

Despite the fact most Christmas trees are cut at the trunk when they enter our homes, people can still benefit from their trees, Hall said. Through photosynthesis, trees produce fresh oxygen.

"As long as the needles are green and there is light, photosynthesis is occurring," Hall said. This is why it's important to water your cut tree, he explained.

Christmas trees also produce a fragrant, woodsy scent that can remind us of the past.

"How they affect us can depend not only upon the chemical properties associated with the trees oils, but also upon the memories, if any, we associate with the smell," Peterson-Lewis said.

People can insert scent sticks into the branches of artificial trees, which could help them recall those memories just as easily as a real tree would, said Sally Augustin, environmental design psychologist and principal of Design with Science. However, they would not be able to benefit from the oxygen a real tree provides.

For Peterson-Lewis, the smell of pine fills her "with a sense of gratitude tinged by loss."

Throughout her childhood, Peterson-Lewis said she would go with her dad every year to cut down a pine tree on their property for their Christmas tree. After he died, her mother bought an artificial tree.

"It felt sad to see how quickly she adjusted to it," she said.

Having a real Christmas tree can sometimes resurface memories that are positive or negative. If a tradition is not bettering your mental well-being, Peterson-Lewis said it is okay to let go and build new ones. Her tree this year is a single pinecone with a red ribbon tied around it.

"Traditions are like Olympic records: they are made to be bettered," Peterson-Lewis said.

It takes a lot of work to grow a Christmas tree.

“We are growing a crop that takes seven to 10 years until you can harvest it,” said Beth Bossio at Quarter Pine Tree Farm in Pennsylvania. “Every year, it grows about a foot, so that’s why it does take a long time.”

Quarter Pine Tree Farm is preparing for the busiest part of the year.

“We are a choose and cut tree farm,” Bossio said.

This time of year is spent tagging, cutting and hanging trees. It's not an inexpensive process.

“Prices are going up across the board with everything. We sold our trees two years ago for $60 and we raised them $5 last year, $5 this year so we’re selling our trees for $70 and I think that is comparable to what we’re seeing across the nation,” Bossio said.

“It creates a lot of difficulty in terms of managing the supply chain just because the lead times are long, lots of things can go wrong,” said Prakash Mirchandani, director of the Center for Supply Chain Management at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mirchandani said Christmas trees are a unique product with a short life cycle and a short period of demand. However, they also take a long time to grow, or for artificial trees, to create.

“The supply chains for both of these types of trees has gotten affected,” he said.

The main problem has to do with transportation, Mirchandani added.

“As far as artificial trees are concerned, almost all are imported," Mirchandani said. "Eighty percent come from China.”

“Big retailers haven't been able to bring all their trees in and get them through the ports,” said Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Hill.

Balsam Hill is an artificial Christmas tree and decoration retailer. Harman is also one of the founders of the American Christmas Tree Association, a nonprofit organization.

He said they’ve had to raise their prices at Balsam Hill around 22 percent on average to help offset transportation costs.

“If you're buying a tree that's been trucked to you or if you're buying an artificial tree there's no question that the prices are going to go up,” he said.

And for states that grow a lot of real trees, getting them to other parts of the U.S. could also be impacted.

“The availability of transportation is certainly going to affect sending the trees from Pennsylvania to other locations,” Mirchandani said.

But farmers across the country are adding to their supply for future years. It’s something Quarter Pine Tree Farm sees firsthand.

Beth Bossio’s stepfather Jim Rockis opened Quarter Pine Tree Farm in the 1990s, but it’s more than just a tree farm. They operate a Christmas tree seed orchard too -- and they are one of a few to do it.

“There’s probably five of us in the country that do it in an industrial way -- that do Christmas trees,” Rockis said. The seedlings that grow from these seeds are distributed to over 300 farms in the Northeast -- and Bossio sees them ramping up their supply.

“In the last four years farmers are planting more and more trees,” she said. “It used to be that we would start taking orders and I’d still be taking orders in February of the following year. We’re already sold out and that's because farmers are ramping up their numbers.”

While Christmas trees may have a higher price tag this season, industry experts say there will be a tree available for people to put gifts under.

“You just need to shop early,” Bossio said. “Yes supply chain issues across the board with a lot of things, but we’re never going to run out of trees. It’s just you might not find the size tree you're looking for. It may be a 7 foot instead of an 8 foot, and that tree is still going to provide the scent and the experience you want no matter what.”

Rocky the owl inspires children’s book about his journey in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

The story of a little Saw-Whet owl has sparked creativity across the country

Updated: 10:45 PM EST Nov 13, 2021

Special Projects Producer

This is the story about a story.Two stories, in fact.A month before the lights, the glitz and the pageantry of the 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in New York, the 75-foot tall spruce tree had to be cut down in upstate New York.Along for the ride, as the tree was transported from the woods to the big city, in his little nest, was a Saw-Whet owl. The poor guy hadn't had food or water for three days. The man driving the truck had noticed him in the tree, got a box, and put him inside.The owl was eventually taken to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York. They dubbed the little guy "Rockefeller," for obvious reasons. That being a long name, they called him "Rocky" for short. "I read the article and started thinking, wow, that would be a great children's book," said Kim Dwyer, a clinical psychologist in Denver, Colorado. "I had lots of other pots on the fire in my professional life, walked away from it, and like the idea just kept coming back. And I think, you know, I also felt, you know, so timely, like, I felt this, this like it, write this, write this now write this book now and get your thoughts out while they're fresh."Her thoughts turned to Rocky's journey, translated to human feelings. A Saw-Whet owl doesn't have the low-pitched kind of "hoot" you might think of. It's more like a higher-pitched, as Dwyer writes it, "toot." Not dissimilar from the whine of a saw being sharpened.The feelings and sounds were put into her first-ever Christmas book, Rocky's Christmas Journey."There's something there that's emotional," Dwyer said. "And I'm using that as an opportunity to, to talk as basic as like, how are people feeling right now? How do you think you know, the main character, how's Rocky feeling when he finds himself in this tree in the middle of a city, and he's so far away from, you know, where he grew up, or where he decided to build his nest?"In the end, though, her hope is that parents will help kids realize that they can see themselves in Rocky as well."I mean, if you think about it, we could take that story of Rocky, and we could substitute a four-year-old and you're going off to school, and I can remember being that age, and you know, I wasn't particularly thrilled to be going off to school, and a lot of kids feel that way," Dwyer said.It's more of a fictional account, but one she hopes will connect with kids.Dwyer isn't alone, the folks at the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center have written their own book for kids. Theirs is a little less fictional, but the same journey. They also sell tree ornaments, clothes, cups and more with Rocky's image on them. Dwyer's book is available at retail stores and online.The real Rocky, by the way, had a happy ending too, just like the Rocky in Dwyer's book —found and set free. Rocky's came with some help from the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center.

NEW YORK —

This is the story about a story.

Two stories, in fact.

A month before the lights, the glitz and the pageantry of the 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in New York, the 75-foot tall spruce tree had to be cut down in upstate New York.

Along for the ride, as the tree was transported from the woods to the big city, in his little nest, was a Saw-Whet owl. The poor guy hadn't had food or water for three days. The man driving the truck had noticed him in the tree, got a box, and put him inside.

The owl was eventually taken to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York. They dubbed the little guy "Rockefeller," for obvious reasons. That being a long name, they called him "Rocky" for short.

"I read the article and started thinking, wow, that would be a great children's book," said Kim Dwyer, a clinical psychologist in Denver, Colorado. "I had lots of other pots on the fire in my professional life, walked away from it, and like the idea just kept coming back. And I think, you know, I also felt, you know, so timely, like, I felt this, this like it, write this, write this now write this book now and get your thoughts out while they're fresh."

Her thoughts turned to Rocky's journey, translated to human feelings.

A Saw-Whet owl doesn't have the low-pitched kind of "hoot" you might think of. It's more like a higher-pitched, as Dwyer writes it, "toot." Not dissimilar from the whine of a saw being sharpened.

The feelings and sounds were put into her first-ever Christmas book, Rocky's Christmas Journey.

Kim Dwyer and Moran Reudor

"There's something there that's emotional," Dwyer said. "And I'm using that as an opportunity to, to talk as basic as like, how are people feeling right now? How do you think you know, the main character, how's Rocky feeling when he finds himself in this tree in the middle of a city, and he's so far away from, you know, where he grew up, or where he decided to build his nest?"

In the end, though, her hope is that parents will help kids realize that they can see themselves in Rocky as well.

"I mean, if you think about it, we could take that story of Rocky, and we could substitute a four-year-old and you're going off to school, and I can remember being that age, and you know, I wasn't particularly thrilled to be going off to school, and a lot of kids feel that way," Dwyer said.

It's more of a fictional account, but one she hopes will connect with kids.

Dwyer isn't alone, the folks at the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center have written their own book for kids. Theirs is a little less fictional, but the same journey. They also sell tree ornaments, clothes, cups and more with Rocky's image on them. Dwyer's book is available at retail stores and online.

The real Rocky, by the way, had a happy ending too, just like the Rocky in Dwyer's book —found and set free. Rocky's came with some help from the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center.