It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
The annual Christmas tree tapped to be the iconic centerpiece of the landmark Rockefeller Center has been picked from a suburban Albany farm, about 130 miles north of Manhattan, the center announced on Monday.
The 11-ton, 75-foot Norway spruce tree, donated by the Russ family, was planted more than 60 years ago at their historic Rensselaer County farm. The majestic conifer marks a return to the Empire State — after last year’s tree made the pilgrimage from Red Sox country in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
“For generations, the Norway Spruce has stood as a backdrop to family milestones,” Rockefeller Center said in an announcement via Instagram, “now becoming part of a tradition that belongs to us all.”
“I’m excited to make more cherished memories with my family and childhood friends as it becomes the world’s Christmas tree,” said Judy Russ, who lives in the historic farm with 7-year-old son Liam.
The evergreen is slated to be cut down at the Capital Region homestead in East Greenbush on Nov. 6, then arrive in the Big Apple two days later – before it’s decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and a 900-pound crystal Swarovski star in time for the annual Dec. 3 tree lighting ceremony.
“For generations, the Norway Spruce has stood as a backdrop to family milestones,” Rockefeller Center said in an announcement via Instagram, “now becoming part of a tradition that belongs to us all.”
The beloved tradition will be on display at 30 Rockefeller Center through mid-January, when it will be converted into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
The tree is among dozens of esteemed American arbors – mostly Norway spruces – used over the years for the wintertime ceremony, which dates back to 1931 when construction workers building Rockefeller Center erected a Christmas tree.
Rockefeller Center’s head gardener Erik Pauze, the force in charge of finding the famous tree each year, found the Russ’ spruce as part of his year-round search across the East Coast.
Pauze finally visited the upstate farm after a photo of the tree was given to him by a Rockefeller Center security supervisor earlier this year, Rockefeller Center reps said.
“As soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect,” Pauze said. He then returned to the farm multiple times beginning this summer to water and care for the tree himself.
“What I look for is a tree you’d want in your living room, but on a grander scale,” Pauze said in a statement.
“It needs to make people smile the second they see it.”
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