From the wilds of NC to the Capitol lawn: the hunt for the perfect tree is on

Becky Johnson, The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
·3 min read

Apr. 1—The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will hail from the wilds of a national forest in North Carolina this year, which makes Haywood County a possible contender for the honor.

The tree itself hasn't been chosen yet, and the competition will be stiff. There are more than 1 million acres in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.

Since Haywood County is home to national forest lands, we're in running if the perfect tree can be found here.

The forest service will conduct a multi-month search for candidate trees. Finalists will be presented to the Architect of the Capitol, who will visit NC this summer to view the choices and then select a winner to grace the West Lawn of the Capitol.

Affectionately known as "The People's Tree," the Capitol Tree is selected from a different national forest around the country each year, a tradition that began in 1970.

North Carolina's turn rolls around every 24 years, which happened previously in 1998 and 1974.

The 1998 tree was a 50-foot Frazer Fir from Roan Mountain. The 1974 tree was 41-foot Fraser Fir from somewhere in the Pisgah National Forest.

Last year's Capitol Tree — an 84-foot-tall white fir — came from Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California. In 2020, it was a 55-foot-tall Engelmann Spruce from Colorado, which was on the short side of what's preferred.

The size of the Capitol tree has inched up over the years. Back in the '70s and '80s, the Capitol Tree averaged 40 to 50 feet tall. The average is now in the 70-foot range, with several trees over the past decade topping 80 feet. Montaha holds the record with an 89-foot tree.

Transporting the giant tree to the Capitol is a monumental undertaking. The tree's journey will include meet-and-greet stops along the way so the public can view the tree on its route to D.C.

The tree's route won't be announced until early fall, and is dependent in part on where the chosen tree is located. The lighting of the tree is held the week after Thanksgiving.

The National Forests in North Carolina is capitalizing on the hype around the Christmas Tree with a year-long campaign to connect people to North Carolina's public lands.

"Having the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree selected from our state is an honor and emphasizes our responsibility to maintain and protect our public lands so future generations can enjoy all that our state has to offer," said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

The National Forests in North Carolina has partnered with the non-profit Choose Outdoors to implement the year-long celebration, plus coordinate the public campaign for the tree's journey to Washington, DC.

"We're looking forward to bringing people together to celebrate our public lands and the joy of the holiday season," said Bruce Ward, president of Choose Outdoors.

The theme of the year-long fanfare around the tree is "From the Mountains to the Sea."

"Our theme of 'From the Mountains to the Sea' represents the incredible diversity of North Carolina's natural and cultural heritage," said James Melonas, Forest Supervisor of the National Forests in North Carolina. "Our history is just as diverse and deeply rooted—we are the birthplace of scientific forestry in America, the home of the first tract of land purchased to create the National Forests in the eastern U.S., and within one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world."

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact bruce@chooseoutdoors.org.