In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:

What happens to the Campus Martius tree after the holidays?

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, real trees are a renewable and recyclable resource, and there are more than 4,000 local Christmas tree recycling programs across the country.

Recycled trees can be used in a number of ways, from making mulch to burning the wood for energy. Up to 30 million live trees are sold every year in the U.S.

According to the company Mid-Michigan Recycling, if all those Christmas trees were recycled and turned into electricity, it could power 650,000 homes for a month.

The options

The Downtown Detroit Partnership, which is in charge of the Christmas Tree display at Campus Marius,  sent this statement:

“The Norway spruce that the city chooses each year is near the end of its life cycle. For every Michigan tree harvested, three new ones are planted. Each tree is recycled in a number of ways, whether into mulch or lumber, and then reused in Detroit parks, donated to local schools, or set aside for special cultural projects.”

Tree recycling of Christmas past

Mid-Michigan Recycling was once hired to recycle the tree.

Aaron Hess is the company’s operations manager.

“So the tree was cut up and put into a dumpster. Unfortunately, whoever loaded it got like some street barriers and ornaments and some other things kind of mixed into it, into the loads as it was delivered,” Hess said.

Hess says that because the tree had too many contaminants, namely, tree ornaments and tinsel, they were not able to do the job a second year in a row.

“We worked with the crews to clean it up and get the tree recycled, but it was a little extra work that we can’t normally do, uh, at least regularly.”

Mid-Michigan Recycling is the exclusive wood supplier for the Genesee Power Station, which is an energy plant that produces green, renewable energy from wood waste.

The facility receives most of its trees from cities with curbside pick-up in their neighborhoods. But people can also drop off trees at any time at their sites in Livonia or Macomb Township for free.

Hess says sending the trees to his company is a good option because there are not a lot of alternatives to salvage pine trees after the holidays.

“A Christmas tree doesn’t have the greatest value as a mulch product,” Hess says. “The needles and the bark content of a Christmas tree is pretty high compared to the, you know, to the wood itself.  And then the pine needles just don’t make a good mulch.”

More creative uses

But there are other uses for an old Christmas tree. Amy Start is the Executive Director of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association. She says one option is to use the tree as a different kind of decoration in your own backyard.

“You can put it outside and put like different kinds of crumbs and bird seed and things like that on it.” Start says. “And then just watch the birds come throughout the winter. It’s a great spot for them to perch, and you can really get some good entertainment out of it.”

Start says some have even used old evergreens for erosion control on beaches or as fish habitats in lakes. She even suggests contacting local farms who may be collecting trees.

“Goats love Christmas trees. So, check with a farm like that. You can also check with the Christmas tree farm itself. Some of them will have a program where they take the tree back, and then they can chip it up for you as well,” Start says.

How to get your tree recycled

Most cities have some sort of Christmas tree pick-up. Detroit is one of those cities. For two weeks after the new year, Detroit will collect Christmas trees placed on the curb on the neighborhood’s normal garbage collection days.

And those who miss that window can take their tree to a citizen drop-off site—locations can be found on Detroit’s Department of Public Works website.

But residents should be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, and tinsel from the trees first, as they can make them ineligible for recycling.

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Choosing the right tree to plant that will thrive long into the future just got easier.

Michigan’s tree canopy is changing due to climate change. Whether it’s due to invasive species, flooding and drought, or extreme heat, some species will do better than others.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently released a 57 page species selection guide that rates species for climate change resiliency and hardiness using characteristics like size, shade and rainwater absorption.

Lawrence Law is an urban and community forester and partnership coordinator with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He led the development of the Michigan Communities Tree Species Selection Guide.

He says some species that are ubiquitous in Southeast Michigan, like Silver Maple (rated 1 of 10), are poor choices compared to lesser-known ones like Kentucky Coffeetree (rated 10 of 10) due to climate adaptability.

“I have seen so many good examples of Kentucky Coffeetree in the area. It’s just a powerhouse. You can get cultivars that are seedless and it’s like boom, plant and forget, almost.”

Law spoke with David Leins on The Metro about how people can use the guide to choose the right tree for their yard or right-of-way.

WDET’s Detroit Tree Canopy Project is supported by a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

In this episode of CuriosiD, we begin to answer the question:

What happens to the Campus Martius tree after the holidays? 

… By first looking into where our Christmas trees come from.  

At Hillside Christmas Tree Farm in southern Michigan, the work of growing holiday trees begins long before December.

Tony Stefani runs the multi-generation family operation, and also serves as president of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association. He first became involved with the organization more than a decade ago, after his father brought him to a growers’ meeting.

“I had no idea how large this industry truly is,” he says. “There’s a farm in Michigan that sells a million trees annually. It’s quite astonishing when you consider the scale of this business.”

What customers want to know

Customers at Hillside Christmas Tree Farm often ask how long their trees will last. Stefani says a fresh-cut tree should hold up through the holidays. “I’ve received photos in mid-February showing trees still standing and even beginning to sprout new growth,” he says.

Another category of questions has to do with ornaments. “I’m very detail-oriented,” Stefani says. “If you have heavy decorations, I recommend certain species based on their characteristics.”

Tree height is also a growing topic, especially as more homes are built with vaulted ceilings. He says, “There is a strong market for tall trees…but taller trees are generally older [and take] more time in the ground, more effort, and higher costs.”

Better for the environment?

Questions about sustainability are becoming increasingly common, and Stefani believes the benefits of real Christmas trees are clear.

“We offer a product that spends seven to ten years growing in nature, supporting various microecosystems, ” Stefani says. “One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people.”

He contrasts that with artificial trees, which are “manufactured on assembly lines from petroleum-based materials,” arguing that there’s no environmental case in their favor.

Real trees are also biodegradable. He says that after the holiday season, a tree can be recycled and mulched. “On our farm, we recycle the waste and return it to the land, something that can’t be done with artificial trees,” Stefani says.

A Michigan tree heads to the White House

This year, Michigan earned national attention in the industry. “For the first time in 38 or 40 years, Michigan won the national competition,” Stefani says. Corson’s Tree Farm  will send a roughly 15-foot concolor fir to the White House.

“If you win the state competition, you can compete nationally,” he explains. “And if you win nationally, your tree is presented to the president and the first lady.”

Beyond the holidays

Hillside has become a hub for other members of the community. Beekeepers place hives on the property during the summer. Search-and-rescue teams train their dogs on the acreage. Falconers and professional photographers also make use of the farm.

“We’ve hosted hives for supporting pollination,” Stefani said. “Search and rescue training, falconry activities, and collaborations with photographers seeking scenic backgrounds are also part of what we do.”

It takes time to grow 

Stefani says one of the biggest misconceptions about the industry is how much time it takes for a Christmas tree to grow to commercial height. “I wish people understood how long these trees are actually in the ground,” he said. “The trees we harvested this year were planted back in 2016.”

As president of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association, Stefani says many growers worry about how difficult it is to enter the business, mainly because trees take years to mature before they can be sold.

“Our biggest competitor is the artificial tree,” he says. “Entering this business can be quite difficult for new growers. You’re typically looking at a 7 to 10-year period before you start recouping your investment.”

As the holiday season approaches, he says one of the things he wants those searching for the perfect Christmas tree to understand is the time, energy, and effort it takes to bring this holiday centerpiece to your home.

Stay tuned for the next CuriosiD, where we answer what happens to our Christmas trees after the holidays.

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

We want to hear from you! 

Have a question about southeast Michigan’s history or culture? Send it our way at wdet.org/curiosid, or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for WDET’s weekly newsletter and never miss a curiosity uncovered.

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Palmer Park provides a peaceful escape from the noisy, hot summer streets of Detroit. 

Spanning roughly 70 acres of forest, the park is home to over one hundred native plant species including treasured, towering oaks — some of which are centuries old. It serves as a sanctuary for wildlife such as pollinator bees, butterflies, birds, deer, and coyotes. 

There are many reasons that Palmer Park is one of the most popular urban parks in Detroit, but taking a closer look at the conditions of the tree canopy has one forestry educator concerned for the future.  

Southeast Michigan forestry educator Jackson Gorland founded the Michigan Forestry Club to share his passion for trees with the public.

Jackson Gorland identifying sassafras in Palmer Park

He recently conducted a forest forensics lesson at Palmer Park on a hot, humid Tuesday where he said that fewer tree species are thriving in the park without human intervention, risking reduced biodiversity.  

“Having a diversity of species in there…not just relying on a couple of species that are shade tolerant,” Gorland says. “Absolutely have beech in there, absolutely have sugar maple in… it’s [about] creating a mosaic of different conditions that promotes biodiversity.”

Gorland stresses that hands-on actions are needed to ensure the survival of Palmer Park’s oaks, which require full sunlight. According to

Gorland, shade-tolerant species are crowding them out. There are also more mature oaks than young saplings, a sign that future survival is in jeopardy.

The park recently did a prescribed burn to help young oaks, but further consistent interventions are needed, says Gorland. 

The Michigan Forestry Club plans to host additional forest forensics classes across parks in Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor.

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

WDET’s Natalie Albrecht contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: Edited on 9/2/25 to correct a misattribution in photo caption. Gorland is identifying sassafras, not saffron. We apologize for the error.