Norway Spruce

The Norway Spruce is the traditional Christmas tree. It is the one in the old photographs, the one Prince Albert put candles on, and the one that stands in Trafalgar Square every December.

It is also the one that smells like Christmas. No other tree comes close.

Ours are British grown, cut to order, and delivered free on the date you choose.

The scent is the reason

Walk into a room with a Norway Spruce in it and you know. That sharp, resinous pine smell fills a house in a way no Nordmann and no artificial tree ever will.

People who grew up with a Norway Spruce tend to buy one for life. The smell is tied to the memory, and a scentless tree feels like a Christmas with the sound turned down.

If that is you, this is your tree.

Be honest about the needles

The Norway Spruce drops. We are not going to pretend otherwise.

Its needles are thinner and less waxy than a Nordmann's, so they lose moisture faster and let go sooner. A well kept Norway Spruce will hold about three weeks indoors. A neglected one next to a radiator will start shedding within days.

You can do a lot about this. Cut an inch off the trunk before it goes up, get it into water immediately, top the reservoir every day, and keep it away from heat. Do all that and it holds. Skip the water for two days and it will not.

The other move is timing. Put a Norway Spruce up later than you would a Nordmann. Mid December rather than the first weekend, and it will be in its prime on the day that counts.

If you want to decorate early and never think about it again, buy a Nordmann Fir instead. It is the non-drop tree.

What a Norway Spruce looks like

A classic conical shape with short, bushy branches. Deep forest green, and full right down to the bottom with no gaps to the trunk. It is the shape a child draws when you ask them to draw a Christmas tree.

The dense foliage takes lights and baubles well, and the colour is a good backdrop for almost anything you hang on it. The needles are shorter and a little spikier than a Nordmann's, so wear gloves if you are wrestling with the lights.

Where it comes from

The Norway Spruce, Picea abies, came out of Scandinavia and was grown for timber, because it is strong and it grows fast.

It became a Christmas tree through Prince Albert, who brought the German tradition of a decorated tree to Britain in the Victorian era and put lights on a Norway Spruce. The idea spread across Europe within a generation.

Oslo still sends a Norway Spruce to Trafalgar Square every year, a thank you for Britain's help in the Second World War. That tree is a Norway Spruce, and so is most of the tradition you inherited.

Why it costs less

The Norway Spruce grows quickly. It reaches 6ft in five to six years, where a Nordmann Fir takes about ten.

Less time in the ground means a lower price. You are not buying a lesser tree, you are buying a faster one. What you give up is needle retention, and what you gain is the scent and the cost.

What size do you need?

Measure your ceiling and take off a foot for the stand and the star. Most homes want 5ft to 8ft.

Allow for width too. A tree is about two thirds as wide as it is tall, so an 8ft spruce needs a good five feet of floor.

We measure from the base of the trunk to the leader, the shoot at the very top where the star sits.

Caring for a Norway Spruce

This tree rewards care more than any other, so here is the short version.

Saw an inch off the bottom of the trunk before it goes in the stand. The cut end seals with resin within hours of harvest, and a fresh cut lets the tree drink again.

Stand it in water the same day. It can take two litres in the first twenty-four hours. Check the reservoir every single day, because if it runs dry the trunk seals over and the tree stops drinking for good.

Keep it well away from radiators, wood burners and sunny windows. Heat is what strips a spruce.

A Christmas tree stand with a deep reservoir does the real work here. On a Norway Spruce it is not optional.

Ordering and delivery

We cut and pack your tree the working day before your delivery date, so it reaches you fresh. Each tree is netted and loaded into a heavy-duty carrier with a cane inside to hold its shape.

Delivery is free anywhere on the UK mainland and you choose the date at checkout. Deliveries run 8am to 6pm and you do not need to be in. If your tree arrives damaged, we replace it free of charge.

See our Christmas tree delivery details, or read our guide to real Christmas trees if you are still deciding.

Norway Spruce FAQs

How long does a Norway Spruce last indoors?

About three weeks if you water it daily and keep it away from heat. Less if you do not.

When should I put a Norway Spruce up?

Later than a Nordmann. Aim for mid December so it peaks on Christmas Day.

Does the Norway Spruce drop more than a Nordmann Fir?

Yes, noticeably. That is the trade you make for the scent and the lower price.

Which tree smells the most?

This one. The Norway Spruce is the most fragrant tree we sell.