As families gather around their cherished Christmas trees this holiday season, few may realize the looming existential threat these festive evergreens face. Climate change, with its litany of devastating impacts like record heat, severe drought, raging wildfires and catastrophic hurricanes, is increasingly jeopardizing the very future of this beloved tradition. In a race against time, researchers are urgently working to develop new, resilient varieties of Christmas trees capable of withstanding the escalating challenges of a warming world.
The scope of the crisis is daunting. In 2021 alone, over 70% of Christmas tree seedlings in Oregon perished due to extreme heat and parched conditions, their needles completely desiccated. Even mature trees are struggling to retain their needles as autumns grow progressively warmer. When Hurricane Helene battered North Carolina in September, it inflicted a staggering $125 million in damage to Christmas tree farms, a glimpse of the precarious future growers face.
Developing Climate-Resilient Trees
Acutely aware that the clock is ticking, scientists across the country are embarking on ambitious research and breeding programs to create the Christmas trees of tomorrow. At the forefront is North Carolina State University’s Christmas Tree Genetics Program, where lead researcher Justin Whitehill and his team have spent decades developing hardy fraser fir varieties engineered to withstand the mounting pressures of climate change.
Instead of just letting the trees sort of figure it out on their own – which is the natural approach – we’re artificially helping the trees by identifying the ones that tend to do better in these newer climates and newer conditions, and try to push those forward to the next generation using somewhat advanced methods.
Justin Whitehill, North Carolina State University Christmas Tree Genetics Program
Cutting-Edge Genetic Research
Using state-of-the-art genomic sequencing and analysis, Whitehill’s team is mapping the complex genetic architecture that underlies traits like heat tolerance, drought resistance, and pest immunity. By pinpointing the specific genes responsible for climate resilience, they aim to strategically breed elite trees far better equipped to flourish in the trying conditions that lie ahead.
In Michigan, researchers are exploring more immediate adaptations, such as innovative irrigation systems and mulching techniques to help saplings survive increasingly common summer droughts. But they acknowledge that longer-term, the industry will need to embrace transformative changes, potentially even shifting to entirely different tree species better suited to a hotter, drier future.
An Uncertain Path Forward
Deciphering the tangled web of genes that could shield Christmas trees from climate catastrophe is painstaking work, as breeding cycles for firs and spruces can span decades. Genetic modification, while a tantalizing prospect, remains a distant and controversial solution. Yet scientists remain undeterred by the enormity of the challenge.
Like any other crop we have out there, whether it be corn, soybean, any species really, there are challenges, and they are happening faster than what most of the species we work with can adapt with, but we’re up to the task … We’re going to have something to keep the industry solvent and happy moving forward so folks can continue to enjoy real trees for years to come.
Justin Whitehill
As the battle to save Christmas trees from the ravages of climate change enters a critical phase, one thing is certain: the holiday centerpiece of the future may look quite different than the one we gather around today. But with cutting-edge science and tireless dedication, researchers are determined to ensure that the timeless tradition of the Christmas tree endures, even in a radically transformed world.
