The Belgian Christmas tree barometer 2026
Which height, which species, and when. A figures-first read of Belgium's real Christmas tree season, updated every year.
About the data
The market shares on this page are observed on our own deliveries during the 2025 season and cross-checked against public figures from the Belgian growing sector. They describe one specific channel: online ordering with home delivery.
They do not measure the whole Belgian market, which also includes garden centres, supermarkets and direct sales at the farm. All percentages are rounded. Every industry figure is attributed to its original source.
Edition published September 2026. Free to reuse with attribution.
The heights buyers actually choose
Share of each height bracket among real Christmas trees delivered in 2025.
How to read this: in 2025, close to a third of the real Christmas trees delivered measured between 175 and 200 cm. The three brackets from 150 to 250 cm account for roughly seven sales in ten.
Six figures from the 2025 season
Each figure below stands on its own and can be quoted as written, with its period, its measure and its source.
In 2025, half of all real Christmas trees delivered to Belgian homes arrived in November, against three in ten in December. December is no longer the heart of the season.
2025 deliveriesThe single week of 24 to 30 November 2025 accounted for close to a quarter of all trees delivered that year. It is the busiest week of the Belgian season.
2025 deliveriesIn 2025, around 94% of real Christmas trees delivered to Belgian homes were Nordmann firs, across all forms. Norway spruce accounted for just 6%.
2025 deliveriesThe 175 to 200 cm bracket was the best-selling height in 2025, with close to a third of all real trees delivered. It is the reference size for a Belgian living room.
2025 deliveriesBelgium is Europe's second largest Christmas tree exporter, behind Denmark. Around 85% of Wallonia's production leaves the country.
Apaq-WIt takes eight to ten years of cultivation to grow a Nordmann fir of 175 to 200 cm. The tree bought for Christmas 2026 was planted around 2017.
Ardennes growersBelgians no longer wait for December
This is the clearest finding of the 2026 edition. The season tips over on the last weekend of November, not in early December as most people assume. One buyer in two had their tree at home before 1 December.
If you have recently moved to Belgium, this is the single most useful thing to know. Tall trees, those above 200 cm, become scarce from the first week of December onward, at a point when many households have not ordered yet.
Share of each week in the real Christmas trees delivered in 2025, as a rounded percentage of the year. The remainder falls outside this window.
The Nordmann has won, but it has branched out
The balance between species is settled: more than nine real Christmas trees in ten are Nordmann firs. Norway spruce, long the default Belgian Christmas tree, has fallen below 6%.
The real movement is happening inside the Nordmann family. Flocked trees, sprayed white in a workshop, now account for close to 10% of sales, almost as much as root-balled trees. This is a decorative category rather than an ecological alternative, and it sells mainly in mid-range heights.
One more finding, rarely measured anywhere: the stand. In 2025, close to eight buyers in ten took their tree mounted on a wooden cross, roughly two in ten took it with no stand at all, and a small minority chose a reusable water base.
Breakdown of real Christmas trees delivered to Belgian homes in 2025. Rounded percentages, the total may differ from 100.
The real calendar of the season
Here is how a Belgian season unfolds, as read from the 2025 deliveries. Knowing this rhythm avoids the two classic mistakes: buying a tree that was cut too early, or ordering too late to have any choice of the taller sizes.
Orders open, cutting does not
October accounts for around 17% of annual deliveries. Quality trees are not cut before the second half of November: freshness is decided in the field, not in a warehouse.
Cutting starts, first deliveries follow
This is the real starting point of the season for natural trees. A tree cut at this date and watered regularly holds comfortably past New Year.
The peak
This single week represented close to a quarter of all 2025 deliveries. It is when families put up their tree ahead of the first December weekend.
The second wave
The first two weeks of December still account for a quarter of deliveries between them. This is also when heights above 200 cm become hard to find anywhere in Belgium.
Choice narrows
Around 4% of deliveries. What remains sits mostly in the mid-range, and deliveries stop a few days before Christmas.
Collection and replanting
Most Belgian municipalities run a tree collection in January, shredding the trees into compost or mulch. Check your commune's website for the date. Root-balled trees can be replanted if the roots have not dried out over the holidays.
Where Belgium's Christmas trees come from
The Belgian Christmas tree is not an imported product. It is a structured agricultural sector, concentrated in the south of the country and heavily geared toward export. The figures in this section come from Apaq-W and from the Union ardennaise des pépiniéristes, the Ardennes growers' association.
The Ardennes as production heartland
Belgian production sits in Wallonia, mainly in the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur and Liège. It covers around 3,100 hectares, close to 80% of it planted with Nordmann fir.
Two million trees, 85% exported
Commercialised Walloon production is around two million trees a year, of which roughly 85% leaves the country: France first, then the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The sector represents some sixty million euros and around a thousand direct and indirect jobs.
Domestic demand of 800,000 trees
Belgian consumption is estimated at around 800,000 trees a year. The surplus goes to export, and Walloon growers sometimes top up their own supply with purchases abroad.
Denmark upstream
Europe's largest exporter, Denmark also supplies Walloon growers themselves, who buy trees there when export demand outstrips the local harvest.
The seed comes from the Caucasus
The Nordmann fir originates in the mountains of Georgia. A significant share of European seed still comes from that region, where cone picking is a seasonal trade in its own right.
A long and exposed crop
Eight to ten years separate the planting of a Nordmann fir from its sale at 175–200 cm. That cycle leaves the sector sensitive to weather: a bad harvest shows up in available volumes several seasons later.
What a real Christmas tree costs in Belgium
In the home delivery segment, a natural Nordmann fir starts at around €70 for 100–125 cm and reaches just under €200 above 250 cm. The best-selling height, 175–200 cm, sits around €100, stand not included.
Those amounts cover a full service: selection, late cutting, netting and delivery on a chosen date. At a garden centre, a supermarket or directly at the farm, without delivery, prices are noticeably lower, with more variation in freshness and in how accurately trees are sized.
Measuring rule, wherever you buy: leave 20 to 30 cm between the top of the tree and the ceiling, for the topper and the stand. Belgian flats often have ceilings around 250 cm, which is why the 175–200 cm bracket dominates.
Real or artificial
The two markets do not replace each other, they divide the field. Real trees remain overwhelmingly dominant in Belgium, but premium artificial trees are gaining ground with buyers who decorate early, keep their tree for several seasons, or install fixed heights in a business.
The real tree
- A scent and a look that cannot be reproduced
- Belgian farmed crop, replanted after cutting
- Collected and recycled by your commune in January
- Annual purchase, roughly €70 to €200 delivered
- Needs water and a spot away from any heat source
The artificial tree
- Reusable for ten years and more
- Can go up from November, with no upkeep
- Makes sense for fixed heights and professional settings
- One-off investment, spread across several seasons
- Footprint concentrated in manufacturing and initial shipping
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Christmas tree size in Belgium?
The 175 to 200 cm bracket leads by a wide margin: it accounts for close to a third of the real Christmas trees delivered to Belgian homes in 2025. The three brackets from 150 to 250 cm together account for roughly seven sales in ten.
When do Belgians actually buy their Christmas tree?
Earlier than you would expect. In 2025, half of all trees delivered to homes arrived in November, against three in ten in December. The week of 24 to 30 November alone accounted for close to a quarter of the year.
Nordmann fir or Norway spruce?
The Nordmann fir has won the argument: it represents around 94% of real Christmas trees delivered to Belgian homes in 2025. It holds its needles for weeks and does not prick, which suits families with children or pets. Norway spruce is cheaper and more fragrant, but drops its needles far faster in a heated interior.
Will a tree delivered in late November last until Christmas?
Yes. A Nordmann fir cut after 20 November, kept away from a heat source and watered regularly, holds comfortably past New Year. The cutting date matters far more than the delivery date.
Should I choose a cut tree or a root-balled one?
Around nine in ten trees delivered in 2025 were cut, against one in ten root-balled. A root ball is only worth it if you intend to replant: it requires a short stay indoors, generous watering and prompt replanting after the holidays.
Where are Belgium's Christmas trees grown?
Mainly in Wallonia, in the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur and Liège, across around 3,100 hectares. According to Apaq-W, Belgium is Europe's second largest exporter after Denmark, with close to 85% of its production sold abroad.
How much does a real Christmas tree cost delivered in Belgium?
In the home delivery segment, expect around €70 for a 100–125 cm tree and up to just under €200 above 250 cm. The best-selling height, 175–200 cm, sits around €100. Garden centre and farm prices, without delivery, are lower.
What do I do with my tree after the holidays?
Most Belgian municipalities organise a Christmas tree collection in January, shredding them into compost or mulch. Dates and drop-off points are published on your commune's website. A root-balled tree can be replanted if its roots have not dried out during the heating season.
Further reading
The guides below go deeper into each topic covered by the barometer.
Buying at the right time
Understanding the market
Methodology and sources
Scope
Shares by species, form, height and week are observed on our deliveries of real Christmas trees between 1 January and 31 December 2025, in Belgium. Basis: invoiced and paid orders, cancellations deducted, excluding sales at the physical outlet. The dates used are delivery dates.
These figures describe one specific channel, online ordering with home delivery. They do not measure the Belgian market as a whole, which includes garden centres, large retail and direct farm sales.
Rounding
All percentages are rounded to whole numbers, so totals may differ from 100. No volumes, revenue, margins or municipality-level data are published.
External sources
- Apaq-W, the Walloon agency for the promotion of quality agriculture: Walloon production, planted area, export share, European ranking.
- Union ardennaise des pépiniéristes: employment, sector turnover, export destinations.
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Contact
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Barometer published by Sapins.be
2026 edition, updated every September. Free to reuse with attribution.