The Afterlife of 30 Rock’s Christmas Trees

Where do the iconic trees go after the holidays?

1 minute read

December 22, 2023, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit up at night in front of 30 Rock high-rise.

Rockefeller Center's Christmas trees are turned into lumber for Habitat for Humanity homes. | Andrew Kazmierski / Adobe Stock

Have you ever wondered what happens to the famously massive Rockefeller Center Christmas trees that adorn one of New York City’s most recognizable public spaces each holiday season? An article by Eric Lagatta in USA Today has the answer, and it’s surprisingly relevant to Planetizen readers: “For the past 16 years, lumber milled from the trees has been donated to Habitat for Humanity and used to construct new homes.”

“At the end of the season, the Christmas tree is taken down and cut into large pieces, which are transported to a mill in New Jersey where the initial rough sawing is done, Habitat spokeswoman Erika Bowditch told USA TODAY. From there, the pieces are brought to a landscaping company to be dried in a kiln, milled and planed until they are soft and smooth.” The lumber is then sent to a Habitat project to be used in construction.

The trees have been used in homes in five states. “In most cases, the Christmas tree lumber is sent to a Habitat affiliate in the state where the tree was grown.”

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 in USA Today

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