May 6, 2026
Introduction: In this article – to help celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday – Melissa Davenport Berry describes the tradition of the Mother’s Tree, which began in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1923. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
For Mother’s Day, I look back at a tradition honoring mothers known as the ceremonial planting of the Mother’s Tree.
Its genesis began in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1923 and quickly spread across the nation.
Here is a news clip from the Plain Dealer describing the first Mother’s Tree.
This article reports:
The custom of planting a white birch tree in honor of mothers, a practice which is now followed in many parts of the country, began with the planting and dedication of this white birch tree in Reading, Pa., 16 years ago. Set apart in a little park on the shore of Lake Antietam, the first “Mother’s Tree” was planted on May 13, 1923, by the late Solan [Lehman] Parkes, widely known naturalist and conservationist. The same spade used in planting this tree later was used by Mrs. Calvin Coolidge in planting a white birch tree on the White House lawn in honor of the mothers of presidents. On Mother’s Day in Reading each year a ceremony is held at the Mother’s Tree in which representatives of every nationality group in the city say a prayer for their mothers in their native tongues. The white birch at Reading is registered in the “Hall of Fame” for trees by the American Forestry Association of Washington, D.C.
Solan L. Parkes (1875-1938) is the son of Charles Lehman Parkes and Susanna “Susan” (Landis) Parkes (1843-1921) – daughter of Nathan Landis and Rebecca (Druckenmiller) Landis.
The two photographs below appeared in American Forestry magazine. The left photo shows the planting of the first Mother’s Tree on Mother’s Day in 1923 in Reading, Pennsylvania. The photo on the right shows the spade used to plant the tree. That spade, with a commemorative plate attached to the handle, was formally presented by the City of Reading to the American Forestry Association.
According to an article in American Lumberman published 19 May 1923: at the ceremony attending the planting of the first Mother’s Tree, attorney David F. Mauger read the familiar poem entitled “The Tree,” by Joyce Kilmer. Robert Marshall Blackburn, D.D., delivered an eloquent dedicatory address, and Frank D. Hill rendered the song “Mother,” with feeling and artistry.
The local paper in Reading published an article the day of the planting urging the community to take part in the ceremony honoring all mothers.
This article reports:
A member of the committee in charge of the planting said:
“The planting of this one birch tree takes but little time, but from the planting of this one mother’s tree a movement will be launched that cannot help but be worldwide on account of the publicity that will be given this observance of Mother’s Day. The white birch, as a mother’s tree, is symbolical of beauty, purity and grace. Year after year the people of the nation will be urged to follow a custom established here in the beautiful hills of Berks County by planting white birch trees in honor or memory of mothers. In only one respect will the mother’s tree on the shores of Lake Antietam differ from mother’s trees that will be planted in the future, for this one white tree will be representative of all mothers the world over. It will be the shrine tree. Reading has been honored in being able to plant the initial tree, to own it and guard it as one of its prized possessions.”
City officials invite the people of the city and county to join with them in the planting of mother’s tree and join with the officials of the American Forestry Guides in suggesting that all who can do so shall bring their mothers.
A later article reports an impressive and touching feature of the planting ceremony: the placing of a white carnation at the foot of the tree by six-year-old Betty Riffert, in memory of her mother who died two and one-half years ago, followed by similar action by little Miss Pittman.
In the first of the trio of photos in the upper right corner of this collage we see: (first photo) Miss Pitman (right) and Betty Riffert; (middle photo) Congressman W. C. Croll, vice president of Guides; (right photo) Wyona Brown and Helena Ludwig, who affixed ribbons to the tree. The photo in the upper left corner of this collage shows the attendees at the planting ceremony. All of these photos are from 1923. The bottom image is from 1928, showing the memorial plaque that was installed when the white birch tree was rededicated.
The inscription on the plaque reads:
Mother’s Tree. The white birch – the nation’s choice to honor motherhood. This is the initial tree, planted and dedicated by Solan L. Parkes on the shores of Lake Antietam May 13, 1923. Rededicated by J. Henry Stump, mayor of the city of Reading, for the people, on May 13, 1928. Registered in the “Hall of Fame for Trees” by the American Forestry Association, Washington, D.C.
On the day of the initial planting, 13 May 1923, a telegram was received from Mrs. Harding, wife of President Harding, which was read to the crowd:
“It is a pleasure to endorse every appropriate program which looks to extending the custom of planting, and beyond that of caring for, the beautiful trees with which our continent has been so richly endowed. There is urgent need for giving this encouragement in all possible ways and every occasion which can be made justification for putting out more trees, especially under such auspices as these, is deserving of all commendation.”
The following year President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge planted a white birch tree on the White House grounds to honor the mothers of the presidents.
In 1931 the Reading Eagle published an article about the history of the mother’s tree, including this section.
To be continued…
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Note on the header image: an AI-generated image of a mother’s tree. Credit: Melissa Davenport Berry.
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