The dreary future of Christmas trees: As growers warn of shortage, retailers offer 'alternative' £15 wooden and metal designs

Christmas in the UK could look very different this year as tree growers warned of a possible future shortage after the country's hottest summer on record and severe drought. These extreme weather conditions have sparked concerns about the health of this year's harvest after Oliver Combe, who runs York Christmas Trees and will supply No 10's tree this year, said he lost 2,000 of his newly planted firs. The 57-year-old said it had been a 'tough year' for growers with 'no proper rain since Easter', adding: 'For the first time we have had losses in what we planted last year.'Now, growers are urging the public to wait until the beginning of December to buy their tree - but what if you can't get your hands on one? Retailers are offering 'alternatives' with metal branches or skeletal-like wooden frames starting at just £15, even though they can hardly recreate the magic of an evergreen conifer adorned with lights, tinsel and glittering ornaments. From a woven wicker 'tree' to a collapsible wall-hanging design, these minimalist creations fashioned from steel, iron and pine may well be the ghosts of Christmases yet to come. IKEA's ‘Strala’ LED tree is 1.5 metres tall with 180 diodes and different light modes that can be used both indoors and outdoors. British homeware brand Cox&Cox has a 'magical and majestic' light-up tree that is nearly 10 feet tall and costs £135. IKEA's ‘Vinterfint’ pine frame can be customised to the buyer’s desired width and shape, and decorated with baubles, tinsel and fairy lightsIKEA is selling a £15 wooden, wall-mounted ‘alternative’ tree that its designer Mikael Axelsson said was inspired by a ‘common knob rack’ for the festive season.The ‘Vinterfint’ pine frame can be customised to the buyer’s desired width and shape, and decorated with baubles, tinsel and fairy lights. The ‘stretchy’ tree is collapsible and can be folded away for easy storage after Christmas or used to hang coats, backpacks and hats the rest of the year.The ‘versatile’ wall tree has an overall rating of 4.6 out of five, with customers praising its easy assembly process and affordable price.‘I love this & have used it for the last 2 years. It has had many positive comments,’ one five-star review read.The Swedish retailer also stocks a new ‘tree of lights’ that it debuted this season. The ‘Strala’ LED tree is 1.5 metres tall with 180 diodes and different light modes that can be used both indoors and outdoors.Meanwhile, George by Asda has launched a five-foot wooden Christmas tree, complete with a star on top, that will set customers back by £35.The indoor tree is listed under the ‘festive furnishings’ category and has received a 4.6 rating out of five, based on 28 reviews, despite only having a 30-day warranty.Reviewers boasted of how it was easy to put 'together and decorate', even describing it as 'cat-proof'. George by Asda has launched a five-foot wooden Christmas tree, complete with a star on top, that will set customers back by £35 George by Asda has also unveiled a black metal, conical 'hanging baubles tree decoration' that is three feet tall and costs £20 Cox&Cox's yuletide offerings include a £75 woven wicker cone that is described as a 'unique' take on the typical tree Cox&Cox is also selling a smaller £40 'Scandi Metal Christmas Tree' with hooks to hang baublesOne person said: 'A modern Christmas Tree that looks fabulous - easy to put together and very versatile as it can be made into a full circle or kept slightly flatter if space is more limited.'However, one two-star review read: ‘Really wobbly, not stable at all. Returning for a refund.’The brand has also unveiled a black metal, conical 'hanging baubles tree decoration' that is three feet tall and costs £20. British homeware brand Cox&Cox has a 'magical and majestic' light-up tree that is nearly 10 feet tall and costs £135. The description reads: 'Magical and majestic, our festive Outdoor Light Up Tiered Tree has a black metal frame and hinged branches that fall into position to reveal elegantly shaped boughs sumptuously outlined with cluster lights.' The larger-than-life LED tree can set a'stylish outdoor scene' or be displayed as a 'unique centrepiece' inside the house. Cox&Cox's yuletide offerings include a £75 woven wicker cone that is described as a 'unique' take on the typical tree and a smaller £40 'Scandi Metal Christmas Tree' with hooks to hang baubles. Other options include an 'ornament display stand' masquerading as a Christmas tree from Debenhams that will set you back by £80 (but is currently nearly half-off). It is made from 'sturdy iron' and each 'branch' is individually secured to a central pole to 'prevent sagging' when the accessory is fully decorated. Tesco is selling a similar five-foot design, complete with a star on top, for nearly £100. Meanwhile, the Christmas Tree Farm in Orpington told the Daily Mail they are selling a similar-sized real tree for around £60. Other options include an 'ornament display stand' masquerading as a Christmas tree from Debenhams that will set you back by £80 (but is currently nearly half-off) Tesco's Christmas ornament stand will set you back by nearly £100It comes after a survey revealed that as many as one in ten Britons will put up their Christmas tree this week.Four in ten believe that the traditional 24-day countdown is too short, so once the Halloween decorations get put back in the cupboard, 17 per cent start to feel Christmassy.More than a quarter of people have already started dusting off their decorations and listening to Christmas music. Meanwhile, some 22 per cent will be tuning in to festive films such as It's A Wonderful Life and (arguably) Die Hard.Celebrations chocolates, which commissioned the survey of 2,000 adults, dubbed the results 'Christmas-maxxing' – a trend in which Britons try to prolong the festivities beyond December.Other ways British people try to extend the festive period are by buying new decorations, something 21 per cent do, putting the tree up a month early, which 20 per cent do, and digging out the Christmas pyjamas and present shopping throughout the year - what 18 per cent do.