This Year’s Rockefeller Center Tree is from…Florida?

When you think of trees and Florida you probably think of palm trees rather than evergreens, and that would make sense if you are thinking about the state rather than the village of Florida in Orange County, New York where this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was selected. Every year, a new giant tree is brought to Rockefeller Center for the holiday season to serve as the shimmering centerpiece of the city’s holiday decorations. The 2019 tree, a Norway Spruce grown in the village of Florida, New York, will be cut down on November 7th and arrive in New York City on Saturday, November 9th.

The Florida tree will be the 88th tree to have the distinction of bringing holiday cheer to the millions of people who come out to see it each year and watch the annual tree lighting on television. Exact details on the tree’s size have yet to be released, but it is sure to be as massive as its predecessors. Last year’s tree was a 72-foot tall, 12-ton Norway spruce from Wallkill, New York. Every year, Rockefeller Center receives submissions from families who want to see their tree above the iconic Rockefeller ice rink. A Norway spruce is the preferred type, and those chosen are usually in the later stages of their life cycle.

The 2018 Tree

Once in New York City, the tree will be wrapped in 50,000 multi-colored, energy efficient LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski star. The tree will be lit during the annual live broadcast “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 and remain on display until until Friday, January 17, 2020. Once the holidays have passed, the tree is donated to Habitat for Humanity, where it is recycled and used as lumber in their building projects.

Learn about last year’s tree with this post from our archives: The Top 10 Secrets of Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree