The Bermuda National Trust has said it would not be able to offer its sustainable Christmas tree programme this year owing to a lack of appropriately sized saplings.

For the past two years, the programme offered patrons live Bermuda cedar trees for rental, with the trees planted at BNT nature reserves at the end of the holiday season.

However, the charity said: “Unfortunately, the charity cannot offer the programme this year as there were not enough cedar tree saplings of the right size available.

“Happily, the reason is positive. Interest in planting endemic and native trees is very high, and specimens have been snapped up from nurseries for planting in microforests and private gardens, as well as on BNT nature reserves.”

Karen Border, executive president of BNT, said the charity had already received a number of inquiries from the public about the programme.

“It takes about three years for cedars to reach sufficient height for a mini Christmas tree and though we are growing our own and have some on order from nurseries, they are not yet big enough,” she said.

“We hope to be able to run the programme again in 2024 but this year we are urging people to make a donation to our tree planting instead, should they choose to buy an imported tree.

“Alternatively, if you buy a cedar, olivewood or other native tree from a nursery to decorate for Christmas, BNT would be delighted to accept the tree after the holiday season if you don’t have room for it in your garden.

“We will plant the tree in a nature reserve and let you know where it is, so that you can visit and watch it grow. Bermuda Green Thumb on Brighton Hill have cedars for sale in ten-gallon pots, which would make excellent Christmas trees and we would love to give them a forever home after the holiday season.”

The BNT added that such a donation would both benefit Bermuda’s environment and offset the carbon footprint from importing Christmas trees.