The University’s 32-foot-tall Christmas tree came to campus with quite the survival story.
Before it was delivered to campus the week before Thanksgiving — complete with a police escort — the tree grew for 11 years at Windy Hills Farm in Ethel, where it lived through the whipping wind and rain of hurricanes Katrina and Rita that ravaged many trees there.
The Murray Cypress that would become the LSU Christmas tree was planted in 2000, and it was between 10 and 12 feet tall during those storms in 2005, according to Lisa Brabham Peairs, co-owner of Windy Hills. The tree blew over during the hurricanes but was propped up with stakes in the wet ground and resumed growth.
By 2011, the tree was among the oldest at the farm, which made it the perfect choice when LSU came calling.
“[LSU] wants a really tall tree, so we try to find the tallest one we have,” Peairs said.
The tree will be lit to its full splendor tonight during the University’s annual Candlelight Celebration, but outfitting it in its full holiday embellishments is no easy feat.
Each branch is individually lit from the inside to the outside, which takes about five days, and another two days are dedicated to placing all the ornaments, according to Michelle Spielman, the Communications & University Relations marketing strategist spearheading the Candlelight Celebration.
Fred Fellner, assistant director of Landscape Services, visited Windy Hills to choose the tree. He said the University has bought its Christmas tree from the farm for about five years. Before that, it was shipped in from Oregon, which made delivery more expensive.
The University typically spends between $500 to $1,000 each year on the tree, Spielman said.
The Murray Cypress is a good choice for LSU because it’s native to Louisiana but looks similar to different types that are only available outside the state, Fellner said. He looks for a tree that has the right shape and is strong enough to withstand the weight of decorations.
“The Murray has more of the classical Christmas tree look — the conical look. I’m looking for some structure that can bear up underneath the lights and the ornaments,” Fellner said. “We don’t have any of the firs like you have farther north or on the West Coast. Our trees are wispy and less structurally sound.”
The University’s tree is equipped with internal bracing and an engineered support system to ensure its stability. To reduce weight, the decorations are largely made up of ribbons, bows and lightweight LED lights.
Fellner said the tinsel and trinkets found on this year’s tree are mostly recycled from last year’s, which keeps expenses low.
“The whole thing has been managed to a smaller overall cost, at the same time keeping everything local,” Fellner said. “We’re supporting the local economy.”
The tree lighting is just one part of the Candlelight Celebration, an event that originally began in 1995 under the name Rekindle the Spirit. The festivities include
performances by the Tiger Girls, cheerleaders, a gospel choir and musicians including a string quartet and a reading by Santa Claus of “The Night Before Christmas.”
“It’s a celebration of LSU’s many talents, from our arborists … to our musical performances and the talents they bring to the campus,” Spielman said. “It’s LSU on show.”
The Christmas tree will stand before Memorial Tower until the first week of January, by which time Fellner said it will have begun to dry out. The tree is then recycled and either chipped into mulch or used as landfill to slow soil erosion on the coast, he said.
Fellner said working with the Christmas tree is “outside the norm” of Facility Services duties and one of his favorite parts of the job.
“Culturally and certainly spiritually, it has a lot of significance for the University, so I enjoy it,” Fellner said. “I enjoy the spirit that it brings.”
 
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Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]