Second National Christmas Tree in Two Years Dies

A second national Christmas tree in two years is dead.  The national Christmas tree traditionally grows on the grounds of the White House, at the Ellipse. Each Christmas season, the President formally lights the tree in a ceremony.

The tree planted in March 2011 died of “transplant shock.” The previous national Christmas tree had stood for decades before it was destroyed by a freak wind storm in February 2011.

The two destroyed trees join the Washington Monument as other fixtures in Washington D.C. which have recently been damaged or destroyed. The August 2011 earthquake caused extensive cracking of the Washington Monument.