The needles on the subalpine fir has a good smell of citrus, and the trees have tough, soft branches that do not break so easily, Christmas tree producer Per Tronslien told the Østlendingen newspaper back in 2006. (Photo: Østlendingen / Berit B Skundberg)
Norsk Juletreservice, a company consisting of about thirty Christmas tree producers from Western and Southern Norway, has according to the company achieved record high prices in Russia. Rich Muscovites have paid up to 350 US dollars for an imported citrus-smelling Scandinavian status symbol.
It is Christmas trees of the type subalpine fir that have achieved incredible prices, Norsk Juletreservice (English: Norwegian Christmas Tree Service) informed in an article published by the Norwegian Broadcasting Cooperation (NRK).
The subalpine fir, or Rocky Mountain fire originally coming from western North America, has now been named the “Russia tree” by Norwegian producers.
Norsk Juletreservice AS exports Christmas trees to Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, and the UK – and now also Russia.
Last year, the so-called “Fjord trees” from the Ryfylke region in Western Norway, were sold for more than 240 US dollars in fashionable Chelsea in London.
Christmas Trees and Beluga Caviar
Norwegian Christmas trees are so popular abroad that the producers are unable to meet the demand, and prices therefore get extreme when sold in high-end Moscow and London markets.
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An enthusiastic Christmas tree seller offering his Norwegian produced trees – in Norway! (Photo: ThorNews)
The thirty producers and co-owners of Norsk Juletreservice AS did deliver a total of 40,000 trees this Christmas, but still do not manage to produce enough.
Many choose to export their subalpine firs rather than selling in Norway where they “only” get about 70 dollars per tree, equivalent to one-fifth of the price in Russia.
Ironically, this means that Norway (a country full of Christmas trees) has to import thousands of “ordinary” fir trees from Denmark that is completely flat and do not have the right conditions to grow the so-called “Russia tree”.
The record prices of around 350 US dollars for a Norwegian Christmas tree sold in Moscow should remind us all why we celebrate Christmas:
Next year, rich Muscovites should consider replacing the citrus-smelling Norwegian wonder tree with an ordinary Siberian one, and maybe also the Beluga caviar with cod roe caviar spread.
The hundreds of dollars saved will be warmly welcomed by the Salvation Army and other charitable organizations in need of every penny.
By doing so, ThorNews guarantees that next Christmas many Moscow residences will smell even better – even without the hint of citrus.
God Jul! Merry Christmas!
Thor Lanesskog, ThorNews
thornews.com 
totally agree! an excellent example of how crazy materialism can be.