The grounds have several notable trees. An Eastern White Pine, the state tree of Michigan, is located at the east front of the building. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tree was planted in memory of the slain leader in 1984 to the north of the Austin Blair Monument. The oldest tree on the grounds is a catalpa on the southeast lawn present when the Capitol was dedicated in 1873. The American Forestry Association has certified this catalpa is the largest living tree of its kind in the United States. The most recently dedicated tree is a blue spruce called "the Freedom Tree," planted in 1973 as a memorial to the Vietnam War's missing-in-action and prisoners of war.