Picea abies outside of its native range, and one of the most economically important coniferous species in Europe. It is used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. It is also widely planted for use as a Christmas tree. Every Christmas, the Norwegian capital city, Oslo, provides the cities of London (the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree), Edinburgh and Washington D.C. with a Norway spruce, which is placed at the most central square of each city. This is mainly a sign of gratitude for the aid these countries gave during the Second World War. In North America, Norway spruce is widely planted,
Trafalgar Square Horse Guard's Parade, along Whitehall to Nelson's Column. As an archetypal London location, Trafalgar Square featured in film and television productions during the Swinging London era of the late 1960s, including "The Avengers", "Casino Royale", "Doctor Who", and "The Ipcress File". It was used for filming several sketches and a cartoon backdrop in the BBC comedy series "Monty Python's Flying Circus". In May 2007, the square was grassed over with 2,000 square metres of turf for two days in a campaign by London authorities to promote "green spaces" in the city. In July 2011, due to building works in Leicester