Results are presented from three different field trials comparing controlled crossed materials of Norway spruce from the southern seed orchard at Lyngdal (58° N) with open‐pollinated progenies from the same mother trees standing in the northern natural forest (63–66° N). The seed orchard progenies flushed consistently later in the spring, terminated leader shoot growth later in the summer, had higher frequencies of lammas shoots, were delayed in lignification during autumn, and were 15% taller at age seven years from seed. The difference between the orchard‐ and the natural stand material appeared to be permanent from age four to age seven. It is suspected that the non‐native environment in the seed orchard could affect the genotypic performance of the seed orchard progenies.