PA Again Provides White House With Signature Christmas Tree

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Officials describe it as "the centerpiece of the holiday season" amid multiple holiday adornments in the White House. It's an 18.5-foot Concolor Fir tree mounted in the Blue Room - and it came from Pennsylvania.

First Lady Jill Biden on Monday unveiled this year's White House holiday decorations, which carry the theme "We the People." According to the White House, they include 83,615 holiday lights, a gingerbread house containing 40 pounds of icing and 77 Christmas trees.

The big daddy of those trees is the Concolor Fir, which stands floor to ceiling and fills the oval room. The tree is so large that the room's chandelier had to removed to accommodate the tree's height.

The tree was presented by the Shealer family of Evergreen Acres Christmas Tree Farm in Auburn, Schuylkill County. They were the 2022 Grand Champion Grower in the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest; the winner gets to provide the White House with its official tree.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to represent the Christmas tree growers of America by continuing the tradition of providing a tree to the White House Blue Room, which will be viewed by millions of people,” Evergreen owner Paul Shealer told the Christmas Tree Association.

Evergreen Acres previously was named the Grand Champion Grower in 2000 and presented a Christmas tree to First Lady Hillary Clinton. They were also selected as Reserve Champion Grower in 2008 and presented a tree to then-Vice President Dick Cheney's residence.

Evergreen's victory was Pennsylvania's 11th time winning the Christmas Tree Association contest. Only North Carolina, with 14 victories, has won more.