The Parkfairfax holiday tree, a 60-foot Norway Spruce lives
on the island at the junction of Preston
Road and Valley
Drive. Each year the tree is strung with colored
lights in preparation for the community tree-lighting on the first Sunday in
December.
The Norway Spruce, often called Common Spruce, is pyramidal
and has a strong central leader, horizontal secondary branches, and pendulous
tertiary branches (the only spruce with drooping branchlets).It grows to a height of 60 – 90 feet with a
diameter of 1 to 3 feet.It has a
red-brown to gray bark which peels in thin strips. Clusters of red to yellow
male flowers and red female flowers appear in spring.The flowers produce a large cone growing up
to 6 inches which drop shortly after they mature.
The Norway Spruce is native to mountain forests on damp
soil.It is used for its timber and in
general landscaping but also as root stock for less vigorous Japanese and
Chinese spruces.In Europe
it is the most common Christmas tree.
