Giving Tree is a unique I-71 storefront along the hip H St corridor in Northeast DC with a very cool throwback aesthetic, an antique shop where you can also get some weed in the back. Neat! Where else can you go antiquing in Washington? I mean, besides Capitol Hill. Ba-dum-tsss. I’m not saying that Congress is old, but some of these folks got to watch Citizen Kane in theaters (the cinema!). Thank goodness we have such experienced leadership at the nation’s helm at this tumultuous time of rapid- oh, that? That’s just SarcastaBot, it WARNING! SARCASM DETECTED! WARNING! SAR- does that, yeah, that’s why it was turned off. Don’t touch my stuff.
Shopping at Giving Tree
Giving Tree’s newly launched website doesn’t offer much info, but does have some gorgeous photos of their recent inventory, if you want to see the kind of buds you can expect to find at the shop. Guess we’ll just have to head over to 1236 H St Northeast and shop in person! Why not, Giving Tree is open everyday except for Wednesday (check out their hours here) and the H Street neighborhood is full of restaurants, clubs, bars, and coffee shops to check out, plus you can take the trolley there! When was the last time you took a trolley anywhere? Exactly!
Parking isn't too cumbersome in the adjacent neighborhoods if you prefer draining the precious lifeblood of Planet Earth in a more direct manner. The closest Metro stop is a dozen blocks away or so at Union Station, so it’s a bit of a hike, but you can take the bus if you are adamantly opposed to the clearly superior trolleys for some reason. Like, what is your deal? You know what, nevermind, we don’t have time to get into your trolley problem today, Chidi. Whew, that was a long way to go for a Good Place reference. Gimme a minute to catch my breath.
I was obsessed with all the collectibles in the front of the shop, a well-organized collection of promotional ashtrays from half a century ago, aged auto garage signs, classic records, and other assorted knick knacks, but their primary focus is on prints. There’s a sense of purpose here, too, as the available print inventory is rich in variety but thematically linked- think ads you might have found between the pages of Good Housekeeping and Popular Mechanics in the 50s. I dig that Fallout vibe.
Whenever you can take your eyes off all the cool gear up front (all available for sale, by the by), then the friendly staff will help you choose your prints and send you into the back room to choose your free cannabis gifts.
The gift room adds a luxurious element to the rustic atmosphere, with intricate gold flourishes along its white counter and thick mahogany cushions on the chairs, so you can wait in comfort. The light is low, but Giving Tree keeps their flower samples in lighted magnification jars, so you can examine the cannabis thoroughly before making a decision.
What’s On Giving Tree’s Menu?
I’m glad you asked! Giving Tree offers several tiers of flower- outdoor, light deps, and indoor. The value offered across these tiers is good and in line with the expectations we’ve discussed in our pricing guide. They also have edibles, including both West Coast staples like CaliGold chocolate bars and local options like Chronic Confections gummies.
Giving Tree also has a variety of pre-rolls. Joints of their house flower are available by the pack, Dankwoods in singles, and they’re launching pre-rolled blunts crafted from Dudz cigars soon. They’ve even got some CBD options behind the counter.
What really got my attention was the staple of Giving Tree’s menu, their DC-grown Animal Spase flower, which they tell me is Ice Cream Cake x Runtz. The lush trichomes immediately catch the eye, but even more impressive is how resinous the flower is. If you’ve been wondering where the sticky for your icky went, definitely check out this flower. As for the aroma- well, I use the term “woodsy” a lot, but I usually mean something like sandalwood. Animal Spase is another beast entirely. This is like going full Keebler Elf and shoving your head inside an elm tree. Absolutely incredible aroma, and the effects are very well-balanced between focus and mood-enhancement, which makes it a great choice for getting through your work day or relaxing nude on a bearskin rug by the fireplace at night and feeding grapes to your lover. Surely, I’m not the only one? TV says everyone does. Are you serious? Then what am I supposed to do with all these grapes?