What You Didn’t Know About the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
For millions of Americans, the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and other public display trees around the country is synonymous with the start of the holiday season.
And though these trees stand tall and bright for more than a month, they are eventually taken down and recycled after the New Year.
This year's Spruce pine was cut from a Connecticut fifth-grade teacher's yard. Photo: Flickr/bitchcakesny
A recent New York Times editorial got us thinking about the best choice when it comes to major public display trees. During World War II, Rockefeller Center displayed three living trees for the first time, the tallest measuring 50 feet.
The spruce trees were replanted on Long Island, where they originated, after the holidays. However, starting in 1946, Rockefeller Center began to display tall, cut trees again, and the tradition continues to this day.
Living trees are removed from the ground with their roots bundled intact into a large “root ball.” In cooler weather, with the proper ground removal techniques, the tree can be displayed for the holidays and later replanted.
While both options have their perks (and pitfalls), potted trees may be the more eco-friendly option if replanted in a space that allows for proper root expansion.
However, composting that 76-foot-tall will yield a considerable amount of mulch and other material for local parks and reserves. This year’s tree is a Norway spruce that made the trek from Easton, Conn. to the heart of Manhattan. Weighing in at about 10 tons, the official lighting of the tree will take place on Dec. 2.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments.
The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Fresh From Twitter: What You Didn’t … / Worm Farming Books
posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 am
[...] What You Didn’t Know About the Rockefeller Christmas Tree: Earth911.comHowever, composting that 76-foot-tall will … http://bit.ly/7F2iLn [...]
credit unions
posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 7:42 am
The Christmas tree depicted in this post is really awesome.I can’t stop imagining myself how amazingly beautiful it would look during the Christmas day.
credit unions
Mia LaBronze
posted on December 6th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I love the Rockefeller Christmas Tree! My husband, kids and me went the other year, but we didn’t know much about it. I can’t wait to go again this year. I’m going to look up more facts and post them!
Mia LaBronze
posted on December 6th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Guess what my husband just told me! The Rockefeller Christmas Tree gets donated to “Habitat For Hummanity International” each year on Jan. 9! l’m VERY eco-friendly. If you find anything interesting about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree- or any new and improved way to recycle- let me know at mialb@aol.com