Once ‘unwanted,’ the Toledo Christmas Weed is now a story of ‘love and goodness’

Before the Toledo Christmas Weed became a story of “love and goodness,” it was “something so small, unnoticed, overlooked and unwanted by most,” according to a post on Facebook.

Thanks to one family who didn’t overlook this growth in a cracked city sidewalk, the story has brought the “Christmas spirit” to an Ohio city of almost 280,000 people. Like many Christmas stories, the story of the Toledo Christmas Weed isn’t free of any grinches — but in the end, said “grinch” only made this lonely weed stronger.

Here’s how the story begins.

Troy Emrick was driving home from church with his family when he noticed the “really big weed,” his daughter, Alyssa Emrick, told WTOL.

“It reminded us of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree,” Alyssa Emrick, 20, said, according to The Washington Post. “And my dad said, ‘We should decorate it.’ ”

And that’s exactly what they did that Sunday, Dec. 9.

The family drove to Walgreens across the street to pick up some tinsel, the Post reported, then they went right back to that weed and decorated it with love before going home.

Ana Guzman was one of many who started to notice.

“There’s a Christmas Weed tree on Secor and Alexis!!” she posted to Facebook, along with a photo. “Whoever is responsible you’re awesome! The newest addition is the presents underneath it.”

The photo shows the brown weed with a red and green garland, one pink ornament on a branch and a green present resting underneath.

Then more and more decorations were added to the weed. The community was coming together — for a brown weed.

One week later, this weed had a Facebook page — Toledo Christmas Weed. It had almost 10,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon.

But of course, a “grinch” came along.

Someone tried stealing the weed — but only got away with a few of its branches — Alyssa Emrick said, according to the Washington Post. “Instead of people getting angry, someone put a dead potted houseplant there and replaced it.”

Then others started dropping off more and more Christmas decorations, as well as gifts and donations.

“Look at how many people have come together in spirit over a ‘little Weed’ bringing presents such as lights to make it shine, a skirt for support and warmth....all of this shows the love and goodness in Toledo,” the weed’s Facebook page says. “Don’t let one Sad hearted person take away what this ‘little weed’ has created.”

The weed became a spot for people to drop off gifts for others, the Toledo Blade reported. The broken weed, and the new house plant, have been surrounded by scarfs, shoes and canned food.

“It is not clear who started the gift giving,” the Blade reported, “but the curb has quickly become a ‘take-what-you-need’ dropoff site.”

On Wednesday, the City of Toledo posted that it would be placing drop-off donation bins near #TheChristmasWeed.

“We want everyone to have a safe & happy holiday season! Even the Weed,” the city tweeted.

Oh, and yes, police have checked out the weed.

“We did a little investigating & the #ToledoChristmasWeed isn’t THAT kind of ‘weed,’” the department tweeted. “ ll is good & merry, no grinches here, just please BE SAFE & obey traffic laws if you are driving by or stopping to take pictures.”