The study is concerned with the Baldwin effect and Lamarckian evolution in a memetic algorithm for Euclidean Steiner tree problem (ESTP). The main aim is to examine the importance of the proposed local search procedures for the ability of the algorithm to find solutions to ESTP. Two local search procedures are proposed as a part of an evolutionary algorithm for ESTP, and the effect of their use is carefully analyzed. The correction procedure modifies the given chromosome so that it satisfies the degree and angle conditions in ESTP. The improvement procedure actively adds new Steiner points to the evaluated solution. The modified solutions are accepted with varying probability, leading to a spectrum of algorithms with a Baldwin effect on one end and Lamarckian evolution on the other. The results are carefully analyzed using proper statistical procedures (Friedman test and post-hoc procedures). To further check the ability of the proposed algorithm to find the optimal or near optimal solutions, results for problems from OR-Lib are provided.