Christmas Tree Shortage In SoCal Blamed On Previous Oversupply

RANCHO CUCAMONGA (CBSLA.com) — There is a shortage of Christmas trees in Southern California this year.

Dan Bolender, owner of Olympic Christmas Trees in Rancho Cucamonga, has been selling Christmas trees for 37 years.

"We've never seen a shortage. Nothing like this at all,"  he said.

In the past, there was an oversupply, forcing some growers to fold and causing a tree shortage, he explained.

"I'm looking at trees in February -- this is unheard of -- I'm calling people and they're saying we don't have any more trees, Dan," he said.

The shortage drove prices are up 10 percent, according to Bolender.

Bigger trees, like the top-selling Noble Fir, are usually the first to go. The longer you wait, the shorter your tree could be.