Elizabeth Mayhew -- Washington Post December 17, 2020 4:06 pm There is a decorating trend that has slowly been creeping, Grinch-like, into the holiday season. People across the country have been ditching their very green evergreens for artificial black trees. It makes sense for right now: With a still-raging pandemic, millions out of work, and food pantries inundated, a black tree seems like the perfect symbol for our plagued 2020. But for black-tree lovers, it’s not a symbol at all. It’s a stylistic choice, one that devotees say is classic, glamorous, and extremely versatile. Kara Trombetta, a photographer based in Austin, has had a black tree for several years. She shoots mainly in black and white, wears only black clothing, and has a monochromatic house, so a black tree seemed like the perfect holiday decoration. The problem: She couldn’t find one.