6 Things to Know About Presidents and White House Trees

The tradition of planting and gardening at the White House dates all the way back to the first president to ever take office, when John Adams planted a vegetable garden. But the tradition of planting trees on White House grounds started with Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson planted a grove of trees on the lawn. Over the past 200 years, numerous U.S. presidents have carried on this tradition of tree planting, whether it was planting memorial trees or planting trees as part of the landscape design. Here are 6 things you probably didn’t know about trees on the White House grounds. (Facts taken from The White House Historical Association.) While the White House was being rebuilt after the 1814 fire, James Monroe increased tree plantings on the grounds based on plans by architect Charles Bulfinch. The federal government used Charles Bulfinch’s planting scheme for a thick grove of trees for the square north of the White House and named the park in honor of General Lafayette in 1824-1825. In 1825, John Quincy Adams developed the first flower garden on the White House grounds and planted ornamental trees. Andrew Jackson created the White House orangery, an early type of greenhouse where tropical … Continue reading 6 Things to Know About Presidents and White House Trees