English Heritage, a cultural agency in the U.K., claims to have found the oldest Christmas tree in the country.
The tree in question is a 158-year-old giant redwood that currently stands at 100 feet tall and is indigenous to parts of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, according to Live Science. Preservation and conservation society National Trust said a British plant collector named William Lobb brought some redwood seeds to England in 1853, and that horticulturists that heard about the size of such trees were quick to obtain these seeds.
Three years later, Thomas Philip de Grey would plant the tree on the ground of Wrest Park, his estate in Bedfordshire that is currently under the ownership of English Heritage. Gardeners with the organization recently found a reference to the redwood in the June 1990 edition of the Gardner's Chronicle periodical, which states that the tree was "planted by the late Mr. Snow in 1856, and must therefore have been one of the first introduced into this country."
The tree was planted in the estate's conservatory, and the gardeners would then bring the sequoia to the de Grey mansion once the tree was big enough to serve as a holiday décor, per annual tradition, Live Science reported.
Christmas trees became popular in England for celebrations during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1876), as her husband, Prince Albert, was a fan of this tradition since his childhood in Germany.
"It was planted shortly after the trend for Christmas trees began, and we believe it is one of the earliest examples," said John Watkins, head of gardens and landscape for English Heritage.
Since English Heritage doesn't know for sure if the Christmas tree in Wrest Park is the U.K.'s oldest, they are asking British citizens to let them know if they know about an older tree, Live Science reported.
However, the organization is still honoring this tree by inviting Wrest Park visitors to come help decorate the tree with red ribbons in preparation for Dec. 25.
