Since 2007, New York’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been milled into lumber after the holidays; the wood has helped build Habitat homes from New York to Mississippi

Rockefeller Center Christmas trees has been used in Habitat homes in several communities, including locations in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi and Maryland.

For millions of people, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a familiar part of the holiday season in New York City. Every year, the large tree stands in the plaza, decorated with lights and ornaments, before being taken down after the holidays. But its journey does not end there.Since 2007, lumber from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been donated to Habitat for Humanity for use in housing projects. According to the organisation, the tree is milled into construction material and used to help build or improve Habitat homes.The programme is part of a longstanding partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Tishman Speyer, the owner and operator of Rockefeller Center. Tishman Speyer donates the tree’s lumber to Habitat, while company staff members work alongside Habitat families on construction projects.The arrangement has connected a Christmas tradition seen by millions with homes where families can continue creating their own memories. Some homeowners have lumber from Rockefeller Center trees built directly into parts of their homes, making the history of the tree a permanent part of their houses.

Rockefeller Center Christmas trees get a second life

Rockefeller Center usually selects a Norway Spruce for its annual Christmas display. After the holiday season, the trunk is milled into two-by-four and two-by-six beams. Tishman Speyer then donates the lumber.The wood is particularly useful for several parts of construction. Norway Spruce is more flexible and durable than lumber used for load-bearing walls. This makes it suitable for blocking, which means filling, spacing, joining or reinforcing parts of a frame.The lumber can also be used for flooring, furniture and cabinetry. Over the years, wood from Rockefeller Center Christmas trees has been used in homes in several communities, including locations in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi and Maryland.

Sarah and her daughters plant vegetable seeds in planter boxes made from 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lumber.

Jonathan Reckford, CEO of the organisation, said the partnership gives the Christmas tree a purpose beyond the holiday season.“Tishman Speyer generously donates one of the largest and most widely-recognized Christmas trees to Habitat,” Reckford says. “The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a reminder to reflect, be thankful and to remember to give back to others among the hustle and bustle of the holidays. That symbol will live on as part of Habitat homeowners’ lives in their new houses.”The connection is also visible at Habitat’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Several walls there feature exposed lumber from the 2018 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The wood carries stamps from different years commemorating the annual tree lighting ceremony.The first year of the programme was 2007. That year’s Rockefeller Center tree came from Shelton, Connecticut, and its lumber was used in Habitat homes in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The programme continued through the following years.

A Christmas tree becomes part of a family home

The 2022 tree became part of Sarah’shome in Corinth, New York. Sarah and the Habitat volunteers used its lumber to build a detached side deck and two planter boxes.Sarah planned to use the deck as a place for her family to grill and spend time together. The planter boxes were used to grow vegetables, with Sarah and her daughters planting sweet pepper and carrot seeds.The wood also became a reminder of Sarah’s long path towards homeownership. She said she had spent almost eight years improving her credit and savings before being able to purchase a home.“I worked on getting my credit up and improving my savings for almost eight years to be able to purchase a home,” Sarah says. “My kids can see that if you put effort into something, something will come out of it. I hope my kids gain patience and understanding that things don’t happen right away, that it does take time.”Another homeowner, Lakisha, has lumber from the 2017 Rockefeller Center tree in her New York home. Several exposed pieces in her pantry and cabinets carry a commemorative stamp marking the anniversary of Rockefeller Center’s 85th tree lighting.“Every day, it’s a beautiful reminder of how far I’ve come,” Lakisha says. “And that you should never give up on your dreams, no matter what.”

The 2025 Rockefeller Center tree came from East Greenbush, New York. Habitat said its lumber will be used in homes in communities to be announced in 2026.The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition itself dates back to 1931, when workers excavating the site put up a 20-foot balsam fir. In 1933, Rockefeller Center made the Christmas tree an annual tradition.