This is the first-ever Rockefeller Christmas tree to come from Maryland.
Maryland has taken the trophy (or given it, as the case may be) for colossal Christmas trees. The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree hails from Elkton, Maryland, making it the first-ever tree from the Old Line State. Elkton is about two and a half hours from New York City in Cecil County on the Elk River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
In its decades-long history (about 90 years), Rockefeller trees have come from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as a couple of times from Ohio and Maine. Over the past 11 years, four trees have come from the Hudson Valley region. Oneonta, New York was the birthplace of the 2020 tree. The 2019 tree hailed from Florida, New York.
Courtesy of Rockefeller Center (Facebook)
This year’s tree is 79 feet tall, 46 feet wide, and weighs about 12 tons. It’s approximately 85 years old.
The massive Norway spruce is scheduled to be cut down on Thursday, November 11, and will arrive in New York City on Saturday, November 13. It then gets decorated with more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and a brilliant Swarovski star at the top.
Public illumination is on Wednesday, November 1, and it remains on display until Sunday, January 16, 2022.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been an NYC tradition and “holiday beacon for New Yorkers and visitors” since 1931 when a group of construction workers set up the first tree, a 20-foot-tall balsam fir. It was decorated with strings of cranberries, paper garlands, and tin cans. Two years later, in 1933, an official tree was erected. The skating rink opened in 1936.
You may be wondering just how a tree this colossal is discovered in the first place. The head gardener at Rockefeller Center scouts out trees by visiting nurseries and checking out backyards. Individuals can also submit trees for consideration. Trees are chosen based on heartiness, shape, and ability to support heavy lights and ornaments.
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Trivia:
- Traditionally, the tree is a Norway spruce but white spruces and balsam firs have also been used.
- Must be at least 75 feet tall and 45 feet in diameter to be considered.
- Trees are donated to Rockefeller Center and then, in turn, the lumber is donated.
- Limited to 100 feet tall due to the narrow streets around Rockefeller Center.
- Trucks, barges, and a transport plane have been used for transportation.
Have you ever visited the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree? Are you planning to visit this year? Let us know in the comments.
