199:) tree was decorated annually for over 30 years and is famous around the state. Unlike a traditional Christmas tree, it is actually shaped like a bush, being nearly as wide as it is tall. Decorations include Christmas ornaments, tinsel and garland, stuffed animals, bows, flags, and it is topped with a silver star. The tree is at a point where the terrain necessitated a wide separation between the northbound and southbound lanes of I-17, and the median is over 100 feet (30 m) wide. The median is under the jurisdiction of the
203:(ADOT), who have said "that for years, no one has been able to figure out who is responsible". The tree is surrounded by four water storage barrels and plastic drip tubing to supplement the sparse natural rainfall in the area. The irrigation system is also believed to have been installed by the unknown tree decorators. In 2013, ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel said people have told him that they know who is responsible but have not said who it is.
31:
237:
ADOT employees say they "have seen the tree somehow survive over and over again". The tree was saved again in August 2019 by firefighters. The fire, however, left the tree too unstable to decorate. In 2021, Nancy Loftis of
Phoenix revealed that she and her family had been decorating the tree and
233:
The median is often the site of brush fires ignited by passing vehicles, and the tree has survived many of them. A fire in August 2011 was close enough to melt the tree's plastic irrigation system, but the tree was not seriously harmed even though the fire burned the surrounding vegetation and
214:. In 2011, a former ADOT district engineer who retired in 2005 said he knew who decorates the tree but honors their request to remain anonymous. Due to the danger of stopping on the highway, neither ADOT nor the
234:
scorched some of the tree's lower branches. Some reports say the fire burned out on its own, while others say the tree was helped by ADOT employees, as well as citizens and "a firefighter or two".
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explained why they ended the tradition after the 2019 fire; she also expressed hope that the family would find a new tree to continue the tradition.
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by people not publicly known. The tree is located near milepost 254, approximately 55 miles (89 km) north of downtown
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539:"'Mystery Christmas Tree' saved during brush fire that closed part of I-17"
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since 1966, has composed a song about the tree that he named "Scrubby".
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Atkinson, Paul; Goldstein, Steve; Gilger, Lauren (December 20, 2013).
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416:"Santa's helpers decorate the 'mystery tree' at Sunset Point on I-17"
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There are also patriotic decorations placed on the tree for the
700:
566:"Here's why the Mystery Tree on I-17 no longer has decorations"
453:"Arizona Brush Fire Threatens I-17's 'Mystery Christmas Tree'"
518:. Arizona Department of Transportation. Fall 2011. p. 9
484:"Did You Know: I-17 Tree Mysteriously Decorated Every Year"
378:"Who Decorates the Mystery Tree on I-17 Near Sunset Point?"
537:
Frank, BrieAnna J.; Curtis, Charles (August 16, 2019).
322:"The mystery of the decorated Christmas tree on I-17"
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634:. Scottsdale's Museum of the West. Archived from
632:"Dolan Ellis, Arizona's Official State Balladeer"
1141:Tourist attractions in Yavapai County, Arizona
659:"Ellis to explain tale of I-17 tree 'Scrubby'"
482:Arroyo Rodriguez, Nadine (December 20, 2013).
712:
284:"Mystery Christmas tree reappears in Arizona"
218:formally condone the activity in the median.
8:
414:azfamily.com News Staff (December 3, 2018).
1037:Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association
958:Norwegian Christmas Tree (Washington, D.C.)
1032:British Christmas Tree Growers Association
719:
705:
697:
348:"Humble tree captures spirit of Christmas"
1047:Danish Christmas Tree Growers Association
602:"What History Has Taught Me: Dolan Ellis"
692:"Scrubby" sung by Dolan Ellis on Youtube
564:Kochanski, Haleigh (December 28, 2021).
657:Santucci, Carolyn (December 13, 2018).
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346:Wagner, Dennis (November 28, 2011).
201:Arizona Department of Transportation
1052:National Christmas Tree Association
1027:American Christmas Tree Association
526:– via Arizona Memory Project.
509:"'Mystree,' I-17's Mysterious Tree"
282:Johnston, Joy (November 24, 2019).
216:Arizona Department of Public Safety
600:Ellis, Dolan (February 15, 2019).
206:The decorations are placed before
14:
320:KPNX Staff (November 24, 2018).
29:
1131:Christmas in the United States
1042:Christmas Tree Promotion Board
749:Christmas tree pests and weeds
191:The 20-foot-tall (6.1 m)
1:
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60:Late November – early January
1006:White House (Washington D.C)
249:, Arizona's Official State
153:I-17 Mystery Christmas tree
24:I-17 Mystery Christmas Tree
1162:
1136:Individual Christmas trees
744:Christmas tree cultivation
163:(I-17) in the US state of
35:The tree decorated in 2014
988:Trafalgar Square (London)
801:Artificial Christmas tree
145:
52:Christmas tree decoration
28:
857:Pleated Christmas hearts
263:List of individual trees
167:that was decorated each
155:is a living tree in the
108:34.218132°N 112.111170°W
923:Downing Street (London)
806:Aluminum Christmas tree
81:Yavapai County, Arizona
1105:Singing Christmas Tree
918:Grand Place (Brussels)
811:Feather Christmas tree
113:34.218132; -112.111170
862:Shiny Brite ornaments
1073:Christmas tree stand
953:Mount Ingino (Italy)
638:on December 24, 2019
352:The Arizona Republic
298:on December 16, 2019
197:Juniperus monosperma
765:Canadian production
687:Roadsideamerica.com
104: /
973:Rockefeller Center
968:U.S. National Tree
908:California Capitol
837:Christmas ornament
780:Mexican production
606:True West Magazine
486:. Phoenix: KJZZ-FM
384:. December 1, 2018
382:North Phoenix News
210:and removed after
1118:
1117:
1011:Wisconsin Capitol
983:Toledo (Ohio) Zoo
938:Lisbon (Portugal)
867:Spider and/or web
775:Global production
770:Danish production
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943:Macy's (Atlanta)
891:Individual trees
842:Christmas lights
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612:on April 7, 2019
608:. Archived from
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294:. Archived from
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173:Phoenix, Arizona
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1078:Festive ecology
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181:Cordes Junction
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681:External links
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1099:Rouse Simmons
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1088:Podłaźniczka
1061:Other topics
1020:Trade groups
993:
963:U.S. Capitol
932:
928:Grove (L.A.)
816:Pre-lit tree
668:December 15,
666:. Retrieved
663:SoCo A&E
662:
652:
642:December 24,
640:. Retrieved
636:the original
626:
616:December 24,
614:. Retrieved
610:the original
605:
595:
585:– via
579:. Retrieved
569:
559:
549:December 15,
547:. Retrieved
542:
532:
522:December 15,
520:. Retrieved
515:
490:December 15,
488:. Retrieved
462:December 15,
460:. Retrieved
433:December 15,
431:. Retrieved
420:azfamily.com
419:
388:December 15,
386:. Retrieved
381:
357:December 24,
355:. Retrieved
351:
341:
331:December 15,
329:. Retrieved
302:December 15,
300:. Retrieved
296:the original
287:
277:
245:
236:
232:
220:
208:Thanksgiving
205:
196:
190:
177:Sunset Point
152:
150:
132:Years active
18:
882:Tree-topper
872:Szaloncukor
825:Decorations
737:Cultivation
455:. Phoenix:
422:. Phoenix:
324:. Phoenix:
290:. Memphis:
247:Dolan Ellis
229:Brush fires
139: 1980
111: /
99:112°06′40″W
87:Coordinates
73:Location(s)
1125:Categories
1110:Tree baler
1068:Chichilaki
832:Candy cane
794:Artificial
758:Production
581:August 27,
269:References
187:Background
175:, between
96:34°13′05″N
1146:Juniperus
978:Sri Lanka
948:Milwaukee
545:. Phoenix
251:Balladeer
169:Christmas
65:Frequency
516:Transend
257:See also
68:Annually
44:Inactive
1001:Vatican
996:(Paris)
913:Chicago
847:Garland
457:KJZZ-FM
428:KPHO-TV
424:KTVK-TV
326:KPNX-TV
292:WHBQ-TV
165:Arizona
124:Country
57:Date(s)
903:Boston
898:Anthem
877:Tinsel
852:Pickle
157:median
41:Status
512:(PDF)
288:Fox13
141:–2019
49:Genre
994:Tree
670:2019
644:2019
618:2019
583:2023
551:2019
524:2019
492:2019
464:2019
435:2019
390:2019
359:2019
333:2019
304:2019
242:Song
179:and
151:The
77:I-17
576:15A
159:of
79:in
1127::
661:.
604:.
568:.
541:.
514:.
500:^
472:^
443:^
418:.
398:^
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367:^
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312:^
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183:.
136:c.
720:e
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706:v
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335:.
306:.
195:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
