Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images A combination of factors has made Christmas trees harder to find and more expensive this year. The coronavirus pandemic has led people to buy up trees at higher levels than in previous years, growers report, as people seek to create a festive, comforting atmosphere in their homes. The pandemic has also led growers who sell in places like New York City to change their plans due to the virus. But the tight supply also has roots in the Great Recession: Trees take eight to 12 years to grow, and in the height of the Recession in 2008, farmers had little incentive to plant trees at their typical levels.