The world’s tallest Christmas tree is right here in LA. We have the numbers

Once again, the Citadel Outlets in Commerce is laying claim to hosting the tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree in the world.

It’s a record the shopping center tries to match, or even top, year after year, as it draws in residents from across Southern California who make it part of their annual holiday tradition, as well as tourists from around the globe.

“We just like to do things big, but we always like to make things memorable,” said Ken Crow, general manager of the shopping center located just outside downtown L.A.

This year’s tree is a white fir that stands 115 feet tall.

For comparison’s sake, this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is 75 feet tall. And the tree chosen for the U.S. Capitol’s Christmas tree, currently making its way to Washington, D.C., is reportedly 53 feet tall.

This kind of annual record doesn’t just happen, of course. It’s a months-in-the-making process that starts each summer up on Mount Shasta, with a scouting team that identifies the perfect tree. (And then, ahem, cuts it down.) This tree was found about 3 miles into the forest, Crow said.

Here are a few other things he told us about the Citadel’s record-setting trees:

It starts with a long haul

It takes three to four days to make the 600-mile journey from Mount Shasta to the Citadel.

The process involves two flat-bed trucks — one holding the limbs and branches of the tree, which have been methodically trimmed off and organized for transport, and another truck holding the trunk.

Heavy machinery is required

Once the tree arrives at the Citadel, a crane is needed to hoist it up and into an 8-foot-wide well engineered to support it — kinda like a giant Christmas tree stand.

Then, it's like a puzzle

It takes about eight to 10 days to put the tree back together.

Crow said the process is very much like that you might have experienced with a fake Christmas tree: Holes are drilled into the tree, and branches are then inserted and secured. The tree is sprayed with a material that keeps it looking fresh and lush and prevents it from drying out.

Finally, the decorating can begin

“It takes about 10,000 ornaments to decorate it, so we use two lifts that come in. There’s over 18,000 lights,” Crow said. “The fun part for me is observing people watching it come to life.”

The lights never go out

Once the holiday lights are on — that happened at a special ceremony earlier this month — they stay on all season, day and night. You can see a time lapse of the process here with last year's tree. (We're waiting for the time lapse video of this year's tree, and will link to that when we have it.)

The tree will remain on display until early January.

And if you want to go down a “tallest Christmas tree” rabbit hole, there are many others who claim holiday tree records too.

The world’s tallest living Christmas tree (at around 222 feet tall) is said to be in Mendocino County and accessible by train. Indianapolis strings lights from a monument that is over 284 feet tall and calls it a Christmas tree . And the tree at the center of Germany’s famous Dortmund’s Christmas market typically stands around 220 feet — but is actually built from many smaller trees.