The holiday season’s most iconic evergreen is making its way to Manhattan — and this year, it’s a true New Yorker. Rockefeller Center has announced that its 2025 Christmas tree will come from East Greenbush, a charming town near Albany. The magnificent Norway spruce, a local landmark cherished by the Russ family for more than six decades, will soon take its place as the centerpiece of New York’s winter festivities.

Towering at 75 feet tall and spreading 45 feet wide, the tree has stood proudly in the Russ family’s yard for generations. “I’m thrilled to see something so personal become part of a tradition shared around the world,” said homeowner Judy Russ, who lives in the family’s historic home with her 7-year-old son, Liam.

Estimated to be around 75 years old, the spruce will be cut on November 6 before beginning its 130-mile journey to Rockefeller Plaza on November 8. Once it arrives, teams will spend weeks transforming it into a dazzling holiday spectacle, adorning its branches with more than 50,000 LED lights and crowning it with the nine-foot-wide Swarovski star, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and featuring over 3 million crystals, weighing an impressive 900 pounds.

The man behind this year’s selection is Erik Pauzé, Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, who has been scouting the perfect Christmas tree for over 30 years. He first discovered the East Greenbush spruce after receiving a photo from a security supervisor. “The moment I saw it, I knew it was the one,” Pauzé told The Center Magazine. He even made return visits throughout the year to personally check on the tree’s condition.

Pauzé describes his work as a mix of art and instinct: “I look for a tree that feels like it belongs in your living room—just on a monumental scale. It should make people smile the instant they see it.”

After the lights go out in mid-January, the tree’s story continues. Like every Rockefeller Center tree since 2007, it will be recycled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity, giving it a meaningful second life, helping build homes for families in need.

“This tree will bring joy to millions this holiday season,” Pauzé said. “And when it’s done, it will keep giving back. That’s what makes this tradition so special.”