Every year the Christmas tree that graces the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol comes from a different state. The tree that will do so this year arrived in DC earlier today, and for the first time it's one from Virginia.
The winner is--or was--a magnificent 82 foot tall red spruce that had been growing in the George Washington National Forest for the last 106 years. The red spruce is actually native to New England, and survives this far south only in isolated pockets at higher elevations. Plus, the area where this particular tree was found was largely clearcut by timber companies some 80 years ago. It was only by dumb luck this particular one survived and grew into such a proud and beautiful representative of its species.
The lesson in all this? If you're a tree, you'll live longer if you remain a pathetic, scrawny sapling.
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