The spruce budworm can also cause damage to buds and foliage, but less so than for white or red spruce. For Christmas trees, overall color of Norway spruce is fair to excellent, but needle retention is considered poor unless the trees are cut fresh and kept properly watered. Growth during the first 10 years after field planting is relatively slow and 8 to 11 years are required to grow a 6-7 foot tree. Norway spruce has a rather extensive range in Europe, growing from Scandinavia to the Balkans to the Alps. It is a cool climate species and is found at elevations of 3,300 feet to 7,500 feet.
Most propagation is by seed.
Rooting is difficult and a challenge. For grafting, Norway spruce is a preferred understock for a number of spruce species. It has also been a model species for use in tissue culture, and procedures developed in Norway spruce are now being adapted to other tree species of interest. The wood is strong for its weight, odorless, but slightly resinous and is of importance in the manufacture of pulp and paper. New leafy shoots can be used for brewing spruce beer, although Norway spruce is not as desirable as black or red spruce.