B.C. Christmas Tree Growers Say Intense Heat Singes Prized Trees, Kills Seedlings

B.C. Christmas Tree Growers Say Intense Heat Singes Prized Trees, Kills Seedlings
Sahtlam Tree Farm owner Robert Russell in front of his cabin in the Cowichan Valley area of Duncan, B.C., on July 31, 2021. Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Updated:

DUNCAN, B.C.—Christmas tree growers in British Columbia say they are facing a brown holiday season due to the heat dome that drove temperatures above 40 Celsius for days and burned firs destined for family living rooms.

The late June heat dome turned some trees from green to brown and killed many spring seedlings, said Robert Russell. He has been growing Christmas trees on Vancouver Island for almost 50 years and holds a degree in forestry from the University of British Columbia.