The Surprising Upstate Town That Gave The 2025 Rockefeller Christmas Tree

The most famous Christmas tree in the world has arrived in Manhattan, and for 2025, the iconic evergreen hails from a quiet residential street in Upstate New York. This year's magnificent centerpiece is a towering Norway Spruce that was carefully selected from East Greenbush, New York, a town in the Capital Region just outside of Albany. The tree’s journey to Rockefeller Plaza is a testament to a cherished American holiday tradition, involving a meticulous selection process that began years ago and culminated in its highly anticipated arrival in mid-November 2025. The selection of the 2025 tree from East Greenbush continues a long-standing tradition of sourcing the perfect specimen from communities across the Northeast, turning a local resident's backyard treasure into a global symbol of the holiday season. The sheer scale of the tree—a 75-foot-tall, 11-ton behemoth—demanded a complicated logistical operation to transport it 150 miles to its final, dazzling destination.

The 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: A Full Profile

The annual selection of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a major event, and the 2025 specimen is a particularly impressive example of a classic holiday evergreen. It embodies the rigorous criteria set by the Rockefeller Center team for this esteemed honor.

• Location of Origin: East Greenbush, New York (Rensselaer County, Capital Region)
• Donating Family: The Russ Family
• Tree Type: Norway Spruce (*Picea abies*)
• Height: 75 feet tall
• Weight: Approximately 11 tons (22,000 pounds)
• Estimated Age: The Norway Spruce species can live for hundreds of years, but trees of this size are typically decades old.
• Distance Traveled: Roughly 150 miles to Manhattan
• Lighting Ceremony Date: December 3, 2025
• Head Gardener/Selector: Erik Pauzé

This particular Norway Spruce was chosen for its exceptional heartiness, dense foliage, and classic, uniform "tree look," which are paramount qualities for a tree that will be viewed by millions globally. The tree’s selection from Upstate New York highlights the region's rich natural resources and its role in supplying one of the world's most famous holiday symbols.

The Meticulous Process: How a Backyard Tree Becomes a Global Icon

The journey from a family’s yard in East Greenbush to the center of Rockefeller Plaza is anything but simple. It is a highly secretive and meticulous process overseen by Rockefeller Center’s Head Gardener, Erik Pauzé. Pauzé is the man responsible for scouting and selecting the perfect tree, a task he takes on year-round, often driving thousands of miles across the Northeastern United States to find the ideal candidate.

Scouting and Selection: A Multi-Year Search

The search for the 2025 tree began as early as July 2020, demonstrating the extensive lead time required for this monumental tradition. Pauzé and his team look for a Norway Spruce that meets a strict set of criteria: it must be at least 75 feet tall, have a full and uniform appearance, and be robust enough to withstand the journey and the month-long display in Midtown Manhattan. The tree needs to be structurally sound to support the weight of thousands of lights and the iconic Swarovski star. The Russ family’s Norway Spruce in East Greenbush caught Pauzé’s eye during one of his scouting trips through the Capital Region. The family was approached and, in the spirit of the holiday season, agreed to donate their beloved tree. This act of donation is key to the tradition; the trees are always gifts to New York City, never purchased.

The Journey: From East Greenbush to Rockefeller Plaza

Once selected, the logistics of harvesting and transporting the 75-foot, 11-ton evergreen are immense. The tree was cut on a Thursday morning in November and carefully prepared for its 150-mile trip. It was hoisted by a massive crane and secured onto a custom-built flatbed trailer. The transport operation, which often requires temporary road closures and police escorts, transforms the tree’s travel into a spectacle in itself. The tree’s arrival in New York City in mid-November signals the true start of the holiday season for many New Yorkers and tourists alike. The journey from Upstate New York to the heart of Manhattan is a symbolic passage, transforming a local landmark into an international beacon.

The Enduring Legacy of the Norway Spruce

The Norway Spruce has become the preferred species for the Rockefeller Center Tree, favored for its conical shape, dense branching, and ability to hold its needles relatively well after being cut. This specific type of evergreen has a long history in the Rockefeller tradition, providing the perfect canvas for the spectacular lighting display. The 2025 tree will be adorned with over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights strung across approximately five miles of wire. The culmination of this effort is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 3, 2025, which draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and is broadcast to millions worldwide. The ceremony is a star-studded event that officially kicks off the holiday season in New York City, cementing the tree’s status as a powerful, global symbol of hope, joy, and the spirit of Christmas. The tradition, managed by Tishman Speyer, the owner of Rockefeller Center, is more than just a display; it’s a commitment to sustainability. After the holiday season concludes in early January, the lumber from the tree is traditionally milled and donated to Habitat for Humanity to be used in home construction, ensuring that the tree’s legacy extends far beyond its time in the plaza. The Russ family's donation from East Greenbush will therefore continue to give back to the community long after its lights have been turned off.