Will the real Christmas tree become a festive tradition of the past? It might if a disease which is currently affecting trees in Britain continues to spread.
The imported disease reportedly turns the needles of Nordmann Firs, which is the most common type of Christmas tree, brown before they drop off.
The disease has spread from the Caucausas region to the United Kingdom.
According to the Telegraph this “double needle necrosis” has damaged a huge amount of crops and while few trees have been affected by it this year, numbers have surged over the last three years.
If the disease were to spread, the prices of Christmas trees would increase even more according to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association.
“The disease could affect the number of marketable trees in future years if this continues,” they explained.
No solution has been found as yet to prevent it from spreading further.
As yet no fungicide has been found to stop the disease from spreading and while it might not have reached Ireland yet, it could only be a matter of time…
