Nevada’s “Silver Belle” Red Fir Chosen as Capitol Christmas Tree, Will Head to D.C.

The White House has selected a 53-foot red fir from Nevada’s Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to serve as the “Capitol Christmas Tree” this year. The tree, nicknamed “Silver Belle,” was harvested on October 24 from the Sierra Nevada near the California–Nevada border. It is the first tree from Nevada to be chosen and the first red fir to hold the distinction.

Designated for display on the West Lawn of the White House, the tree will travel roughly 3,700 miles and stop at 13 locations from Carson City, Nevada, to Washington, D.C. Along the route, the tree will stop through states including Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Maryland before arriving in late November. According to U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree officials, “Silver Belle” features a near-perfect crown, upward‐pointing blue-green needles and robust branches suited for heavy decoration.

The selection comes amid a federal government shutdown and renovation work at the White House, adding layers of context to the tree’s journey. In 2024 the tree had come from West Virginia, and the prior year’s tree originated in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Visitors to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the largest in the contiguous United States at nearly 7 million acres, will not be permitted to view the tree after it is cut, per the normal protocol.

Source: Las Vegas Sun