December 3, 2005

Our USVI Christmas Tree

During our travels, we've been lucky enough to see Christmas traditions around the world but one of the most unique we've found in the US Virgin Islands.

With a shortage of trees suitable for decorating, the Virgin Islanders turn to another native plant for their annual decorations: the agave or century plant. These plants bloom just once in their lifetime, producing a thick stalk filled with yellow blooms.

When the bloom is completed, the stalks stay on the plant and dry in the tropical sun. At Christmastime, islanders go out in search of the dried stalks, bring them home, spray paint them gold, and decorate them for a uniquely beautiful Christmas tree.

We had a blue agave that bloomed this year, producing a stalk about 12 feet high. After it dried, we cut it and saved it through the summer and fall, getting it out today to spray paint it gold. (With Texas temperatures over 80 degrees today, it felt like the USVI!)

Once the gold paint dries, we're going to put it up as an additional decoration, a little reminder of our USVI visit this year.

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