List of sources of the National Christmas Tree (United States) explained

Sources of the National Christmas Tree in the United States have varied over time. The first National Christmas Tree was erected and lit by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923.^[1] As of 2011, the tradition has continued uninterrupted. The trees have come from a wide variety of sources, were placed or planted in different places on the grounds of the President's Park or the White House, have varied in height, and have sometimes been a cut tree and sometimes a living planted tree.

Cut evergreen trees were used in 1923 and from 1954 to 1972. Living trees were used from 1924 to 1953, and again from 1973 to the present (2011). In the list below, the height of the cut tree is the height of the tree when raised at the White House. The height of the living tree is the height when it was first planted. Several states and territories of the United States have provided these trees.

The trees have been placed in a wide variety of locations. These include The Ellipse (the portion of President's Park just south of the White House, across E Street NW), Sherman Plaza (the patio, garden, and public square just south of the Treasury Building and its adjacent Alexander Hamilton Place), Lafayette Park (the square north of the White House, across Pennsylvania Avenue NW), and the South Lawn of the White House.

Types, sources, heights, and locations of the National Christmas Trees

Year		Cut or living	Type of tree	Source	Height	Location	References
	1923	Cut	Balsam fir	Vermont	48feet	Middle of the Ellipse	^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5]
	1924–1928	Living	Norway spruce	New York	35feet	West side of Sherman Plaza	^[6] ^[7]
	1929–1930	Living	Norway spruce	New York	35feet	West side of Sherman Plaza	^[8]
	1931–1933	Living	Blue spruce	Washington, D.C.	25feet	West side of Sherman Plaza	^[9]
	1934-1938	Living	Fraser fir (two trees)	North Carolina	23feet	Middle of Lafayette Square	^[10] ^[11]
	1939	Living (transplanted after use)	Red cedar	Virginia	36feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[12] ^[13]
	1940	Living (transplanted after use)	Red cedar	Virginia	34feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[14]
	1941–1953	Living	Oriental spruce (two trees)	Washington, D.C.	35feet	South side of the White House South Lawn	^[15] ^[16]
	1954	Cut	Balsam fir	Michigan	67feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[17] ^[18]
	1955	Cut	White spruce	South Dakota	67feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[19]
	1956	Cut	Engelmann spruce	New Mexico	67inchesft3inchesin (ftin)	North side of the Ellipse	^[20]
	1957	Cut	White spruce	Minnesota	60feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[21]
	1958	Cut	Engelmann spruce	Montana	75feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[22]
	1959	Cut	White spruce	Maine	72feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[23]
	1960	Cut	Douglas fir	Oregon	75feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[24]
	1961	Cut	Douglas fir	Washington	75feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[25] ^[26]
	1962	Cut	Blue spruce	Colorado	72feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[27]
	1963	Cut	Red spruce	West Virginia	71feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[28]
	1964	Cut	White spruce	New York	72feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[29]
	1965	Cut	Blue spruce	Arizona	85feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[30]
	1966	Cut	Red fir	California	65feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[31]
	1967	Cut	Balsam fir	Vermont	70feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[32]
	1968	Cut	Engelmann spruce	Utah	74feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[33]
	1969	Cut	Norway spruce	New York	65feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[34]
	1970	Cut	White spruce	South Dakota	78feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[35]
	1971	Cut	Douglas fir	North Carolina	65feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[36]
	1972	Cut	Engelmann spruce	Wyoming	70feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[37]
	1973–1976	Living	Blue spruce	Colorado	42feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[38]
	1977	Living	Blue spruce	Maryland	34feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[39]
	1978–2010	Living	Blue spruce	New York	30feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[40]
	2011–2012	Living	Blue spruce	New Jersey	26.5feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[41] ^[42]
	2012–2018	Living	Blue spruce	Virginia	28feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[43]
	2019–2020	Living	Blue spruce	Pennsylvania	30feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[44]
	2021–2022	Living	White fir	Pennsylvania	27feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[45]
	2023	Cut	Norway spruce	West Virginia	40feet	North side of the Ellipse	^[46]

Bibliography

• Crump, William D. The Christmas Encyclopedia. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2006.
• Federer, William J. There Really Is A Santa Claus: The History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions. St. Louis, Mo.: Ameriserch, 2002.
• Menendez, Albert J. Christmas in the White House. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 1983.
• Park Cultural Landscapes Program. National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory: President's Park South, President's Park. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. 2010.
• Seeley, Mary Evans. Season's Greetings From the White House. Tampa, Fla.: A Presidential Christmas, 1998.

Notes and References

1. http://www.nps.gov/whho/historyculture/1923-national-christmas-tree.htm Schiavo, Laura. "1923 National Christmas Tree." President's Park (The White House). National Capital Region. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. No date.
2. Menendez, p. 40.
3. Crump, p. 402.
4. Reports of the tree's height varied considerably. The National Park Service history of the National Christmas Tree notes that media outlets reported the tree's height at 35feet, 48feet, and 60feet. The agency says that photographs of the tree appear to make the height closer to 48 feet. See: Schiavo, Laura. "1923 National Christmas Tree." President's Park (The White House). National Capital Region. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. No date. Accessed 2011-10-20.
5. Park Cultural Landscapes Program, p. 35.
6. Menendez, p. 41.
7. A contemporary source put the tree's height at 45feet. See: "Coolidge Will Light Big Christmas Tree." New York Times. December 7, 1924.
8. "The National Christmas Tree." American Lumberman. May 4, 1929.
9. http://www.nps.gov/whho/historyculture/1924-1933-national-christmas-trees.htm Schiavo, Laura. "1924-1933 National Christmas Trees." President's Park (The White House). National Capital Region. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. No date.
10. http://www.nps.gov/whho/historyculture/1923-national-christmas-tree.htm Schiavo, Laura. "1934-1938 National Christmas Trees." President's Park (The White House). National Capital Region. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. No date.
11. Park Cultural Landscapes Program, p. 37.
12. "Roosevelt to Light National Christmas Tree Here Sunday." Washington Post. December 21, 1939.
13. Park Cultural Landscapes Program, p. 38.
14. Bookman, George B. "President Bares His Head to Listen To Carols With 8,000 on Ellipse." Washington Post. December 25, 1940.
15. Seeley, p. 42.
16. http://www.nps.gov/whho/historyculture/1941-1953-national-christmas-trees.htm Schiavo, Laura. "1941-1953 National Christmas Trees." President's Park (The White House). National Capital Region. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. No date.
17. Folliard, Edward T. "Eisenhower Sets Peace Tree Aglow." Washington Post. December 18, 1954; "Giant Fir for Peace Pageant." Associated Press. November 23, 1954.
18. Park Cultural Landscapes Program, p. 39.
19. "Ike to Light Tree Here December 18." Washington Post. November 20, 1955.
20. Kelly, David J. "67-Foot Christmas Tree, Biggest for D.C., Placed." Washington Post. December 4, 1956.
21. "President Urges Toil to Win Peace." Associated Press. December 24, 1957; "Christmas Tree Picked for Fete." Washington Post. November 21, 1957.
22. "Hailey, Albon B. "Pageant Opens, Marking Yule Season's Start." Washington Post. December 23, 1958.
23. "D.C. Yule Tree Grows in Maine." Washington Post. November 11, 1959.
24. "Ellipse Gets Its Annual Visitor." Washington Post. December 9, 1960.
25. https://foresthistory.org/1961-national-christmas-tree/ "From the First Tree Farm to the President’s Front Lawn: Remembering the 1961 National Christmas Tree"
26. "Ellipse-Bound." Washington Post. November 23, 1961.
27. Gilliam, Dorothy. "President Sounds Hope for Peace In Lighting Up Nation's Yule Tree." Washington Post. December 18, 1962.
28. Clopton, Willard. "71-Foot West Virginia Yule Tree Erected on Ellipse." Washington Post. December 6, 1963.
29. Geremia, Ramon. "LBJ Sets Tree Aglow, Sees 'Star of Peace'." Washington Post. December 19, 1964.
30. "Raising of the Tree." Washington Post. December 3, 1965.
31. "Johnson, at Tree Lighting, Is Hopeful on Vietnam." New York Times. December 16, 1966.
32. "Johnson Lights Christmas Tree." Associated Press. December 19, 1967.
33. "Johnson Lights Nation's Christmas Tree and Voices Prayer for Peace." United Press International. December 17, 1968.
34. "Christmas Tree Taking 1st Step to White House." New York Times. November 22, 1969.
35. Federer, p. 186; "Daredevil Decorators 78 Feet Up." Washington Post. December 11, 1970.
36. Barker, Karlyn. "U.S. Has 4 National Christmas Trees." Washington Post. December 2, 1971.
37. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fXkcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AVIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3903%2C5027994 "National Christmas Tree to Come From Wyoming." United Press International. October 25, 1972
38. Park Cultural Landscapes Program, p. 42.
39. Park Cultural Landscapes Program, p. 43.
40. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna41683431 "Strong Winds Topple National Christmas." Associated Press. February 19, 2011.
41. Office of Communications. "National Park Service to Plant New National Christmas Tree." Press release. National Capital Region. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. March 18, 2011.
42. http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/05/us/national-christmas-tree-dies/index.html Clary, Glen. "National Park Service to Replace National Christmas Tree." CNN.com. May 5, 2012.
43. http://www.wtop.com/109/3096106/National-Christmas-Tree-planted-days-before-massive-storm Forzato, Jamie. "National Christmas Tree Planted Days Before Massive Storm." WTOP.com. October 28, 2012.
44. Web site: Sprunt. Barbara. Halloween Who? The New National Christmas Tree is Almost Here. DCist.com. October 22, 2019. October 26, 2019. none. October 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191026114519/https://dcist.com/story/19/10/22/halloween-who-the-new-national-christmas-tree-is-almost-here/. live.

    News: Weil. Martin. New National Christmas Tree planted Saturday on the Ellipse. The Washington Post. October 27, 2019. October 28, 2019.

45. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/2021-new-national-christmas-tree-planted-in-presidents-park/65-a8419cf6-d1d0-47f1-9bc5-39685e79e02b Pusatory, Matt. "New National Christmas Tree planted at President's Park" WUSA9.com. October 30, 2021.
46. https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/christmas-tree-disease-white-house Gabriel, Angeli. "Disease hits White House Christmas tree; new one in place ahead of annual lighting" Foxweather.com. November 15, 2023.