The official U.S. National Capitol Christmas tree, “Silver Belle,†made a stop in Paducah on Friday, Nov. 14, on its way from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada to Washington, D.C. The 53-foot red fir arrived in D.C. Friday, Nov. 21.
The official U.S. National Capitol Christmas tree, “Silver Belle,†made a stop in Paducah on Friday, Nov. 14, on its way from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada to Washington, D.C. The 53-foot red fir arrived in D.C. Friday, Nov. 21.
How exciting last Friday to meet the official U.S. National Capitol Christmas tree, “Silver Belle,†on its way to Washington, D.C. The U.S. Forestry chose the red fir, botanically known as Abies magnifica. It lives up to its “magnifica†name with its vertical needles that reveal silvery undersides, large cones and dense branching, as well as being a Silver State (Nebraska) native.
For those of us who cannot afford to purchase and have delivered a 53-foot by 16-foot red fir with a 20-inch diameter trunk, opt for an equally beautiful, strong branched Frazer, Noble or Douglas fir. They are known for their fresh fragrance, strong branches and long period needle retention. The most popular fir is Frazer that is more open, fragrant without being overpowering and open branching. Noble has the best needle retention, and its stiff branches will hold heavy ornaments. Use branches that need trimming to make a companion wreath or swag. Douglas fir is not a true fir, nor red fir, pine or spruce. It is termed “Pseudotsuga,†i.e. false hemlock, but that does not detract from its densest, soft greet needles that are best reserved for light-weight ornaments.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments.
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Please use the button below to manage your account.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.