The 2001 Capitol Christmas Tree on the west lawn of the Capitol was lit by the Speaker of the House, the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, in a 5 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, December 11.

The 72-foot-tall White Spruce (Picea glauca) was selected on June 25, 2001--long before visions of sugarplums had begun to dance in anybody's head--by Architect of the Capitol landscape architect Matthew Evans in the Ottawa National Forest from among several candidate trees identified by U.S. Forest Service staff. Several months prior to traveling to the nearly one-million-acre forest, Mr. Evans had provided forest rangers with specifications for the tree.

The stately specimen from the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan was approximately 70 years old. The spread of the lower branches was approximately 60 feet, and the weight of the tree was approximately 4,000 pounds.

The tree was harvested in mid-November and then began its caravan-style journey east. A variety of celebrations were held at different locations in Michigan before the caravan headed on to Washington, D.C. It arrived at the United States Capitol at approximately 10 a.m. on Monday, December 3. Capitol Grounds workers installed the tree on the Capitol's west lawn and decorated it with over 10,000 blue, amber, and clear electric lights. The tree was also adorned with approximately 6,000 elegantly handmade ornaments crafted by Michigan residents of all ages.

The 2001 tree was also known as "The Tree of Hope," an allusion to the country's hopes for the 21st century. The name was selected by the Holiday Tree Committee in Michigan. More information about the holiday tree can be found in the Ottawa National Forest section of the USDA U.S. Forest Service Web site (www.fs.fed.us).

The tree was lit from dark until midnight through January 2, 2002.