Buyers not discouraged by rising tree prices for the holidays

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- This weather is ideal for picking out a holiday tree, and Minnesotans are making the most of it. But several factors will make it more expensive this year. 

WCCO's Allen Henry visited the Happy Land Tree Lot in St. Paul to find what makes the perfect tree, and how much more you could be paying.

"Next weekend is actually our busiest but this one is already. Just yesterday, we blew last year out of the water," said Baden Hilty, who works at the farm.

The search for the perfect tree depends on what exactly you're looking for.

"[A] nice, full tree that looks like it's going to last through at least the 26th of December is going to be important," said Taylor Callais.

"It needs to be about eight-and-a-half feet tall, not too skinny, preferably a Fraser fir for the fragrance for as long as it lasts," said Christiana Kippels.

With inflation and the drought, tree prices have gone up this year. Tree farmers say, depending on the type of tree and its height, you're likely to pay anywhere between $1 to $3 more per foot.

"The drought was a major problem. We had to lay tons of irrigation line. It was quite the project," said Hilty. "It cost a lot of money to irrigate the trees. I mean, we fertilize them. We put a lot of work into them."

But buyers say they don't mind spending a few more dollars for the holiday cheer.

"Looking at the price that we paid, it doesn't seem really all that different from a year ago. So it seems to be relatively in line with what expect to pay for an eight-and-a-half-foot tree," said Kippels.

"You can cut corners a lot of places around Christmas. There's certain things you can maybe pull back on but you know, it's once a year and for us, it really wouldn't be Christmas without a live tree," said Callais.

Several tree farms have pricing estimates posted on their websites. WCCO found trees as low as $35 at some spots and as high as $400 at others. It all depends on the type of tree and its height.