Evergreens

President Calvin Coolidge was the first to light the National Christmas Tree in 1923. The tree was a 48 foot tall balsam fir from Coolidge's home state of Vermont. In 1938, President Richard Nixon received so many letters protesting the fact that every year a beautiful new tree was cut and brought to Washington that he had a Colorado spruce brought to the White House to become the permanent National Christmas Tree. Sadly, that tree withered and died within a few years and was replaced soon after.

Fun facts:

• The Christmas tree was popularized by Queen Victoria and the famous books The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol.

• It is believed that Martin Luther was the first person to put lighted candles on his Christmas tree.

• Olive trees are evergreens that can live for thousands of years. The oldest olive tree resides in Crete at about four thousand years old.

• Aloe vera is an evergreen perennial.

• Rosemary is an evergreen and its Latin name, ros marinus, means dew of the sea.