Norway Spruce Tree

The Norway spruce (Picea abies) is an evergreen conifer native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The Norway spruce has a wide distribution because of its popularity as a timber and as a popular Christmas tree species. In Oakland, families and nursery workers in the late 1800s and early 1900s favored evergreen conifers like the spruce. Evergreen conifers were even promoted as good trees to plant in cemeteries. The particular spruce near the entrance to Josie De La Cruz Park has sparse branches, as it's an older tree. If it’s an original, it was likely planted sometime between 1870 and 1910.