As climate warms, that perfect Christmas tree may depend on growers’ ability to adapt - West Hawaii Today

As climate warms, that perfect Christmas tree may depend on growers’ ability to adapt - West Hawaii Today

As climate warms, that perfect Christmas tree may depend on growers’ ability to adapt

Plant Pathology Researcher Marianne Elliott holds up a petri plate of the fungal disease Phytophthora growing from diseased roots as part of a Trojan fir greenhouse trial at the Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Puyallup, Wash. For decades, Christmas tree growers and breeders have been preparing for a future of hotter weather and warming soil. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Plant Pathology Researcher Marianne Elliott talks on Nov. 30 about the effects of the fungus Armillaria and Phytophthora on tree stump samples taken from Christmas tree farms in Puyallup, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

Gary Chastagner, a Washington State University professor called "Dr. Christmas Tree" shows an example of a less-desirable tree due to fewer top branches, grown in a small plantation of Turkish fir trees to produce disease and insect-resistant Christmas trees at the school's Puyallup Research and Extension Center on Nov. 30 in Puyallup, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)