Christmas Trappings: New England Swoons Over Lobster Pot Trees

What began as a quaint and unique nod to New England’s seafaring heritage is proliferating in Hallmarkian proportions: the lobster trap Christmas tree.

At least 20 of the structures dot the coastline from Connecticut to Maine, many of them festooned with buoys, fishing nets and lights, including an anchor-shaped tree topper.

The traps, which are also known as lobster pots, have become a must-have backdrop, drawing visitors from great distances for preppy-themed photo shoots, holiday cards and social media posts. And, yes, marriage proposals.

But somewhat overshadowed by nautical vibes and twinkle, organizers say, are the costs of maintaining the trees, the need for rules to keep people from climbing on them and, in at least one case, unexpected scrutiny.

Hull, Mass.

No, the plastic orange fencing at the base of a lobster trap tree in Hull, Mass., isn’t a decoration. The building commissioner in Hull, a coastal town southeast of Boston, ordered that the inside of the privately constructed tree, which sits in a municipal park, be closed a few weeks ago because of structural concerns. The tree did not have a doorway in the two previous years that Justin Goodwin, a former lobsterman, and his friends put it up.

“It kind of just made the whole thing kind of crummy,” Mr. Goodwin said of the closure in an interview, describing it as abrupt.

Bartley Kelly, the town’s building commissioner, said in an interview that he was not trying to spoil Christmas, but that the 30-foot-tall tree did not go through the permitting and inspection process. The area is surrounded by water, he said.

“It’s wide open wind exposure down there,” he said, adding, “It looks nice. I’d rather err on the side of caution.”

Stonington, Conn.

Eleven couples have gotten engaged so far this holiday season at the lobster trap tree in Stonington, Conn., which has an opening for people to go inside, Lisa Konicki, the tree’s founder and president of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview. There were 13 engagements last year.

The tree, in southeastern Connecticut on the Rhode Island border, has hosted a gender-reveal ceremony and countless holiday card photo shoots. “They come in wearing pajamas as a whole family,” said Ms. Konicki, who in her role as a tree “docent” flicks the lights on many evenings and takes photos of people with their phones.

Brides-to-be get a ring pop and a gift certificate to a wedding dress shop in the area from the tree’s organizers, who have posted photos of beaming couples on social media. Naturally, at least one snarky commenter could not help but post, “It’s a trap.”

Ogunquit, Maine

The Beachmere Inn in Ogunquit, Maine, has a webcam trained on its lobster trap tree, which the owners first put up more than a dozen years ago and is open to the public. “We had one woman show up in a Grinch outfit,” Sarah Diment, one of the innkeepers, said in an interview.

Ms. Diment said she has watched with amusement as families appeared in matching ugly sweaters or, in one case, tried to corral an uncooperative pet for a photo shoot. “They couldn’t get the dog to sit.”

Cohasset, Mass.

The cone-shaped trees are constructed from lobster traps, which in some of the larger trees can number in the hundreds. They are usually held together with zip ties so that they can withstand the harsh New England winters.

They are believed to have first appeared in the early 2000s, as coastal communities looked to put a nautical twist on their Christmas decorations. The phenomenon has fostered an unofficial competition in the region over whose tree is the fairest of them all.

Portland, Maine

Maine, the cradle of a billion-dollar lobster industry, takes fierce pride in its lobster trap trees. Over the years, some have towered to 60 feet, springing up in fishing villages and cities alike, including the state’s biggest population center, Portland. Some have paid tribute to fallen fisherman, with crosses made from buoys.

Winthrop, Mass.

One lobster trap tree, on a dock in Winthrop, Mass., comes with a bonus backdrop, the Boston skyline. The juxtaposition has beckoned photographers to Winthrop, which is on the northeast side of Boston Harbor, across from Boston Logan International Airport.

York, Maine

Content creators have traversed snow and ice, often in darkness, to frame the trees in winterscapes, sharing the images on social media with the hashtag #lobstertraptree. Businesses have taken notice and put up their own trees, which have sprouted up in front of lobster roll eateries and clothing boutiques in various New England locales.

Kennebunkport, Maine

Kennebunkport, Maine; Gloucester, Mass.; and Brooklyn? One seems as if it doesn’t belong, but lobster traps aren’t just a New England thing. A seafood restaurant in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn erected one. So did the seaport in Key West, Fla.

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