Picture this: You’re sipping eggnog, Christmas lights around your doorway, Michael Buble’s “Jingle Bells” playing from your speakers – and you’re cuddled up with family + friends around the ultimate symbol of Christmas: a decorated evergreen tree.

But what if that tree put you out $109? That’s the price of a 7 ft. real Christmas tree on Amazon. While fake trees on the site are sold for as low as $24.95.

Christmas trees are historically an essential part of the holidays whether you prefer real or store-bought. If fir-real firs are what you’re pine-ing for you might already know that there’s been a tree shortage (expected to last until 2025) due to the recession of 2008 – when tree farmers weren’t planning as many trees in order to save money.

The price of Christmas trees (which take 10 years to reach their full height) are getting steep due to supply and demand – i.e. Americans have begun to prefer the au-naturel trees to plastic ones over the last few years.

Many tree farms have responded to the shortage by importing trees from N.C. (one of the nation’s top states for Christmas tree growth at ~5.4 million trees per year) + as far away as Michigan.

Browns Christmas Tree Farm | Photo by @renwop

Here’s the low-down on the high trees:

🌲 S.C. has many types of trees considered “Christmas” trees including the Virginia Pine, White Pine, Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Carolina Sapphire & Blue Ice, Eastern Red Cedar, Deodar Cedar + Fraser Fir.

🌲 ~25-30 million Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year, with ~350 million currently growing in farms around the nation.

🌲 Last year, the average Christmas tree cost $75. With ~200 trees per acre, tree farmers make ~$14,800 per acre.

🌲 In South Carolina in 2015, tree sales were ~8,500, an estimated value of about $500,000 across the state.

🌲 There’s a Christmas Tree Promotion Board (CTBP) whose job is to research + promote natural Christmas trees + is funded by tree farmers across North America.

🌲 ~80% of trees are picked up before Dec. 9

Fir-get to pick up your tree until now?

Here are 3 Christmas tree farms that are still open:

🎄 Bear Creek Tree Farm | 564 Amicks Ferry Rd., Chapin | Closes Dec. 23 | Monday-Friday: 3:30-5:30 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sunday: 1-5:30 p.m.

Choose + cut varieties: Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire, Deodar Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Virginia Pine, + White Pine

Precut variety: Fraser fir

Open since 1980, this farm sells beautiful trees, wreaths, + poinsettias. Plus they offer complimentary hot chocolate while you look.

Bear Creek Tree Farm | Photo by @michaelrdover

🎄 Brown’s Christmas Tree Farm | 432 Pat Rd., Lexington | Closes Dec. 22 | Monday-Friday: 3 p.m.-dark, Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-dark

Varieties: Virginia Pine, White Pine, Cedar + Leyland Cypress

Tree sizes range from 3 ft.-30 ft. this year (that’s a lot of pine). Prices are $10+.

🎄 Old Barn Christmas Tree Farm | 843 Old Lexington Hwy., Chapin | Closes Dec. 23 | Friday: 3-5:30 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sunday: 1-5:30 p.m.

Choose + cut variety: Virginia Pine

Pre-cut variety: Fraser Fir

View barn antiques + sip complimentary hot chocolate or Russian tea while perusing the wreath, garland, + tree options.

Unfortunately, my tiny apartment doesn’t have much room for the mega-tree I’d like to buy. I’ll just stick with my fake Charlie Brown Christmas tree for now (it fits on my desk perfectly). But you know I’ll be pine-ing for a trip to Old Barn Christmas Tree Farm anyway – if only to get in the holiday spirit.

–Gray + the COLAtoday team