Most leaves have not yet changed colors, but the city of Portland is already prepping to deliver holiday cheer with its 2023 holiday tree.

City officials are searching for this year’s towering tree, which will illuminate Monument Square this winter. Homeowners interested in donating a fir, spruce or pine are invited to fill out an application on the city’s website – competition for the honor could be fierce.

The ideal tree will be located in the greater Portland area and stand between 45 and 60 feet tall, according to the posting. It should also be readily accessible, so that staff can cut it down and prepare it for transport without disturbing power lines and other obstacles.

Staff will review candidates and make a selection by mid-November.

Last year, a 40-foot balsam fir from Westbrook served as the centerpiece of Portland’s festivities. Anne and Toby Nappi told the Press Herald they had planted their tree 23 years before they invited a Portland Forestry to load it onto flatbed truck and deliver it to Monument Square.

The tree had for years been too tall for the couple to decorate themselves. But on Nov. 25, residents gathered to see it illuminated with some 5,000 LED lights at the city’s annual tree lighting ceremony, which returned last year after being shuttered during the pandemic.

It’s unclear when Portland first began displaying a holiday tree in Monument Square, but the tradition in the U.S. dates back to the early 20th century. A Portland Press Herald archive photo believed to be from the 1930s shows four lighted Christmas trees in Monument Square surrounding the Our Lady of Victories statue when Monument Square was a traffic circle. The square wouldn’t be reconfigured and expanded until the 1970s.

A date has not yet been announced for this year’s tree lighting ceremony.