Michigan crews harvest the state's 38th Capitol Christmas tree and prepare it for delivery

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Now that Halloween is over, Michigan is preparing to bring holiday cheer to downtown Lansing.

On Friday, teams traveled to Eagle, Michigan, to pick up the state's 38th Christmas tree, a 60-foot-tall spruce donated by Rich and Dorcas Albertson.

For the couple, the decision to donate their tree was “bittersweet.”

“It’s a beautiful tree and we love it,” the Albertsons said. “We have enjoyed it in our front yard for over 27 years, but it is slowly outgrowing its space and invading our driveway. We will definitely miss it.”

They continued: “When we moved in we put lights on the tree every Christmas before it got too big. It will be nice to see it decorated with lights again this holiday season.”

The Albertson tree is the second spruce selected in Clinton County and the 14th selected in Michigan's Lower Peninsula since work began on installing the official tree at the Capitol in 1987, state officials said.

To be selected as the state's annual Christmas tree, Michiganders submitted nominations beginning May 15 of trees they believed met the state's criteria, according to Heath Miller, a member of the Michigan Christmas tree harvesting crew.

The criteria include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Must be 60 feet tall
• Must be a spruce tree
• Must have a 20 foot crown

Nominations then closed Aug. 15, giving teams time to look through all the trees and decide which one would be chosen, Miller said.

“It's different every year, a lot of things depend on the location, proximity to power lines, what the shape of the tree looks like, the branches, so every year it's a little different,” Miller said. “We usually limit ourselves to two or three and then decide which one is best.”

Albertson's 60-foot-long spruce tree is scheduled to be delivered to downtown Lansing on Saturday.

Once the tree is in place, the City of Lansing forestry team will prepare the tree for a tree lighting ceremony to be held during the 40th annual Silver Bells in the City celebration on November 22nd.

Nominations for Michigan's 39th Christmas tree in 2025 can be submitted via email.