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Moon tree

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates

File:Bicentennial moon tree.jpg
Bicentennial Moon Tree, planted in 1975 in Washington Square, Philadelphia
File:MoonTreeArk.jpg
Moon Tree in front of Sebastian County Courthouse, in Fort Smith, Arkansas
File:Tree certificate.png
Certificate of Authenticity of the Moon Tree in Piedmont, South Carolina.
File:Moon Tree in Piedmont, South Carolina, 1980s.png
Moon Tree in Piedmont, South Carolina, 1980s
File:Moon tree plaque, Waycross, GA.jpg
Moon Tree, Waycross, Georgia
File:Plaque In and Moon Tree, Core Creek Park.jpg
Sycamore Moon Tree, planted in 1976 at Core Creek Park, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Moon trees are trees grown from seeds taken into orbit around the Moon, initially by Apollo 14 in 1971, and later by Artemis I in 2022.<ref name="WP-20230923">Template:Cite news</ref> The idea was first proposed by Edward P. Cliff, then the Chief of the United States Forest Service, who convinced Stuart Roosa, the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 14 mission, to bring a small canister containing about 500 seeds aboard the module in 1971. Seeds for the experiment were chosen from five species of tree: loblolly pine, sycamore, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, NASA announced it would be reviving the Moon tree program by carrying 1,000 seeds aboard Artemis I.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

HistoryEdit

After the flight, the seeds were sent to the southern Forest Service station in Gulfport, Mississippi, and to the western station in Placerville, California, with the intent to germinate them.<ref name=":5" /> Nearly all the seeds germinated successfully, and after a few years, the Forest Service had about 420 seedlings. Some of these were planted alongside their Earth-bound counterparts, which were specifically set aside as controls. After more than 40 years, there was no discernible difference between the two classes of trees. Most of the Moon trees were given away in 1975 and 1976 to state forestry organizations, in order to be planted as part of the nation's bicentennial celebration. Since the trees were all of southern or western species, not all states received trees. A Loblolly Pine was planted at the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to Emperor Hirohito, among others.<ref name="Williams">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

File:MoonTreePlaque.jpg
Plaque at the base of the Fort Smith Moon Tree.

The locations of many of the trees that were planted from these seeds were largely unknown for decades. In 1996, a third-grade teacher, Joan Goble, and her students found a tree in their local area with a plaque identifying it as a Moon tree. Goble sent an email to NASA, and reached employee Dave Williams. Williams was unaware of the trees' existence, as were most of his colleagues at NASA. Upon doing some research, Williams found some old newspaper clippings that described the initial actions taken by Roosa to bring these seeds to space and home to be planted.<ref name="Atlantic Jan 2022"> We Almost Forgot About the Moon Trees: A collection of tree seeds that went round and round the moon was scattered far and wide back home, by Marina Koren. The seeds orbited the Moon, but were not landed on it. The Atlantic, January 31, 2022. </ref>

Williams posted a page on NASA's official website asking for public help to find the trees. The page also contained a table listing the locations and species of known Moon trees. Williams began to hear from people around the United States who had seen trees with plaques identifying them as Moon trees. Williams began to manage a database listing details about such trees, including their location and species. In 2011, an article in Wired magazine described the effort, and provided Williams' email address, encouraging anyone to write who might have data on existing Moon trees.<ref name="Wired Feb 2011"> The Mystery of the Missing Moon Trees: 15 years after NASA astronomer David Williams started searching for them, hundreds of trees grown from space-faring seeds are still missing. The moon trees, whose seeds circled the moon 34 times in Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa‘s pocket, were welcomed back to Earth with great fanfare in 1971. February 10, 2011, wired.com.</ref> As of 2022, efforts were continuing to identify and locate existing trees;<ref name="Atlantic Jan 2022" /> the NASA page remains active.<ref name="NASA page"> The "Moon Trees", official NASA website, accessed February 3, 2022. </ref>

In March 2021, the Royal Astronomical Society and the UK Space Agency asked for the help of the public to identify up to 15 Moon Trees that may be growing in the United Kingdom. As of April 2021, none of the trees that supposedly came to the UK have been identified.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Current effortsEdit

The Moon Tree Foundation is an organization run by Roosa's daughter, Rosemary, which seeks to plant Moon trees in regions around the world. The foundation sponsors and hosts ceremonies to plant new trees, with seeds produced by the original generation of trees that grew from the seeds carried by Roosa in 1971.<ref name="foundation"> Moon tree Planting ceremony, official website of Moon Tree Foundation, accessed February 3, 2022. </ref>

File:Moontree goddard.jpg
Moon tree at the Goddard Space Flight Center

Apollo Moon Tree LocationsEdit

Table key
† Indicates a tree that is no longer alive.
‡ Indicates the exact date of planting is unknown.

United StatesEdit

City State Location Species Date planted Template:Abbr
Salem Template:Flaglist Private Residence 2 Douglas Firs 1973 ‡
Wiggins Template:Flaglist Girl Scouts Camp Iti Kana Sycamore 1974 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Starkville Template:Flaglist Dorman Hall, Mississippi State University Sycamore 1975 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Philadelphia Template:Flaglist Washington Square Park Sycamore † May 6, 1975 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bethesda Template:Flaglist Society of American Foresters Loblolly Pine September 30, 1975 citation CitationClass=web

}}Template:Dead link</ref>

Princeton Template:Flaglist USDA Forestry Sciences Laboratory Sycamore October 18, 1975 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Fort Smith Template:Flaglist Sebastian County Courthouse Loblolly Pine March 15, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Little Rock Template:Flaglist Forestry Commission Headquarters Loblolly Pine † March 15, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Monticello Template:Flaglist University of Arkansas at Monticello Loblolly Pine † March 15, 1976 <ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>
Washington Template:Flaglist Historic Washington State Park Loblolly Pine March 15, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Asheville Template:Flaglist Botanical Gardens at Asheville Sycamore March 19, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
College Station Template:Flaglist D. A. "Andy" Anderson Arboretum Sycamore † March 21, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Birmingham Template:Flaglist Birmingham Botanical Gardens, near Lane Park Sycamore April 1976 ‡ <ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref>
Montgomery Template:Flaglist Alabama State Capitol Building Loblolly Pine April 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
North Pembroke Template:Flaglist Pembroke Historical Society Sycamore † April 1976 ‡ <ref name=":3" />
Elmer Template:Flaglist Palustris Experiment Station, Kisatchie National Forest Loblolly Pine April 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Knoxville Template:Flaglist Forestry Experiment Station, University of Tennessee Loblolly Pine April 1976 ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Sewanee Template:Flaglist Woods Laboratories, University of the South Sycamore April 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Elizabethton Template:Flaglist Fort Watauga, Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area Sycamore † April 1976 ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Tullahoma Template:Flaglist Arnold Air Force Base Loblolly Pine † April 1976 ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Olympia Template:Flaglist Washington State Capitol Building Douglas Fir April 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Albuquerque Template:Flaglist Harry E. Kinney Civic Plaza Douglas Fir † April 7, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Indianapolis Template:Flaglist Indiana Statehouse Sycamore April 9, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lansing Template:Flaglist Michigan State Capitol Building Sycamore † April 22, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Wyoming Template:Flaglist Wyoming Police Department Sycamore † April 23, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Niles Template:Flaglist Fernwood Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve Sycamore April 23, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Salt Lake City Template:Flaglist Utah State Capitol Building Douglas Fir † April 28, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Flagstaff Template:Flaglist Frances Short Pond, formerly Flagstaff Junior High School Douglas Fir † April 30, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Tucson Template:Flaglist Kuiper Space Sciences Building, University of Arizona Sycamore April 30, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Des Moines Template:Flaglist Iowa State Capitol Building Sycamore April 30, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Middletown Template:Flaglist Core Creek Park Sycamore April 30, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Salem Template:Flaglist Oregon State Capitol Building Douglas Fir April 30, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Hampton Template:Flaglist Albert W. Patrick III, Elementary School Sycamore April 30, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Arcata Template:Flaglist California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt 3 Redwoods May 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Athens Template:Flaglist Athens-Clarke County Planning Department Loblolly Pine May 1976 ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Lincoln City Template:Flaglist Lincoln State Park Sycamore May 1, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Roseburg Template:Flaglist Roseburg Veteran Affairs Medical Center Douglas Fir May 3, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Hollidaysburg Template:Flaglist Highland Hall Sycamore May 5, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Boise Template:Flaglist Idaho State Capitol Building Douglas Fir † May 7, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Capitan Template:Flaglist Smokey Bear State Park Sycamore † May 15, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Topton Template:Flaglist Borough Hall Sycamore June 20, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cape Canaveral Template:Flaglist Kennedy Space Center Sycamore † June 25, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ebensburg Template:Flaglist Cambria County Courthouse Sycamore June 29, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
King of Prussia Template:Flaglist Lockheed Martin Space Systems Building Sycamore June 30, 1976 <ref name=":0" />
Missoula Template:Flaglist University Center Mall, University of Montana Douglas Fir July 17, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
New Orleans Template:Flaglist NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Loblolly Pine † July 20, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Santa Fe Template:Flaglist New Mexico State Capitol Building Douglas Fir July 22, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Atchison Template:Flaglist International Forest of Friendship Sycamore July 24, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Berkeley Template:Flaglist Northwest area of Tilden Nature Area 2 Redwoods July 26, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Monterey Template:Flaglist Friendly Plaza, near Colton Hall Redwood July 27, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Steubenville Template:Flaglist Friendship Park Sycamore July 29, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
San Luis Obispo Template:Flaglist Mission Plaza Redwood July 30, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Troy Template:Flaglist Pioneer Museum of Alabama Loblolly Pine August 5, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Silver City Template:Flaglist Gough Park Sycamore August 14, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Alamogordo Template:Flaglist New Mexico Museum of Space History Sycamore † October 5, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Brevard Template:Flaglist Cradle of Forestry, Pisgah National Forest Sycamore October 18, 1976 <ref>Multiple sources:
Tuscumbia Template:Flaglist Ivy Green, historic monument and birthplace of Helen Keller Loblolly Pine October 19, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Auburn Template:Flaglist G.W. Andrews Forestry Sciences Lab, Auburn University Loblolly Pine † October 22, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Huntsville Template:Flaglist U.S. Space and Rocket Center 5 Sycamores, 2 Pines * October 29, 1976 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tuskegee Template:Flaglist Veteran Affairs Hospital (CAVHCS) Loblolly Pine † 1976 ‡ <ref name=":2" />
Sacramento Template:Flaglist California State Capitol Building Redwood April 21, 1976 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

El Dorado Hills Template:Flaglist St. Stephen's Lutheran Church Redwood † 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tallahassee Template:Flaglist Florida Department of Agriculture Loblolly Pine 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Waycross Template:Flaglist Okefenokee Regional Educational Service Agency Loblolly Pine 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cannelton Template:Flaglist Girl Scouts Camp Koch Sycamore 1976 ‡ <ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
Tell City Template:Flaglist Hoosier National Forest Service Office 2 Sweetgums 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Monmouth Template:Flaglist Monmouth County Courthouse Sycamore † 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Clyde Template:Flaglist Disc Golf Course, Haywood Community College Sycamore 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Draper Template:Flaglist Lone Peak Conservation Center Sycamore 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Columbus Template:Flaglist Franklin Park Conservatory Sycamore † 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Corvallis Template:Flaglist Peavy Hall, Oregon State University Douglas Fir 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cave Junction Template:Flaglist Siskiyou Smokejumper Base, Illinois Valley Airport Douglas Fir † 1976 ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Eugene Template:Flaglist Erb Memorial Union, University of Oregon Douglas Fir 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>
Doswell Template:Flaglist Kings Dominion Amusement Park 2 Sycamores (1 dead) 1976 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Washington, D.C. Template:Flaglist Rose Garden, White House Loblolly Pine † January 19, 1977 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

San Dimas Template:Flaglist San Dimas Technology and Development Center Redwood March 29, 1977 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Gainesville Template:Flaglist University of Florida Sycamore 1977 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Boise Template:Flaglist Lowell Elementary School Loblolly Pine 1977 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite video</ref>
Greenbelt Template:Flaglist Goddard Space Flight Center Sycamore June 9, 1977 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Perry Template:Flaglist Forest Capital Museum State Park Loblolly Pine April 29, 1978 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Hamilton Template:Flaglist Scott Jenkins Memorial Park Sweetgum September 1978 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Westlake Template:Flaglist Private Residence Sycamore 1978 ‡ <ref name=":4" />
Lockeford Template:Flaglist Lockeford Plant Materials Center Redwood 1979 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Dillsburg Template:Flaglist Dillsburg Elementary School Sycamore April 29, 1983 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
New Orleans Template:Flaglist New Orleans River Walk Loblolly Pine † June 1983 ‡ <ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref>
Holliston Template:Flaglist Holliston Police Station Sycamore 1982 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Keystone Heights Template:Flaglist Keystone Heights Library Sycamore 1984 ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Plano Template:Flaglist Plano Senior High School Sycamore † November 4, 2009 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tallahassee Template:Flaglist Cascades Park Sycamore Unknown ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Moscow Template:Flaglist Administration Building, University of Idaho Sycamore † Unknown ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Waynesboro Template:Flaglist Forestry Commission Nursery Sycamore Unknown ‡ <ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref>
DeSoto Template:Flaglist Walthers Park Sycamore Unknown ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Elkton Template:Flaglist D.L. Phipps State Forest Nursery Douglas Fir Unknown ‡ <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Coudersport Template:Flaglist Coudersport Area Recreational Park Sycamore Unknown ‡ <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Piedmont Template:Flaglist Private Residence Sycamore Unknown ‡ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

File:Moon Tree in Keystone Heights Florida.jpg
A Moon Tree in Keystone Heights, Florida

Other countriesEdit

City Country Location Species Date planted Template:Abbr
Brasília Template:Flaglist Institute for Environment and Natural Renewable Resources Sweetgum January 14, 1980 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Santa Rosa Template:Flaglist Soybean Fairgrounds, Parque Municipal de Exposições Redwood August 18, 1981 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cambará do Sul Template:Flaglist St. Joseph Central Square Redwood September 26, 1982 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Artemis Moon Tree LocationsEdit

Distribution of Artemis moon trees began in the spring of 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

United StatesEdit

City State Location Species Date planted Template:Abbr
Raleigh Template:Flaglist North Carolina Executive Mansion Loblolly Pine April 24, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Mount Gilead Template:Flaglist Mount Gilead Community Garden Loblolly Pine June 3, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

New Canaan Template:Flaglist South Elementary School Sycamore April 27, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Shelbyville Template:Flaglist Collins High School Sycamore or Sweetgum May 10, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref name="Shelbyville1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

New Paltz Template:Flaglist SUNY Campus Sweetgum May 23, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Manchester Template:Flaglist Barnstead Elementary School Sycamore May 24, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Tecumseh Template:Flaglist Tecumseh South Elementary School Sweetgum May 28, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Cedar Rapids Template:Flaglist Metro High School Sycamore May 30, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Washington, D.C. Template:Flaglist U.S. Capital Building grounds Sweetgum June 4, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Menomonie Template:Flaglist Rassbach Museum Sycamore June 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Green Cove Springs Template:Flaglist UF IFAS Clay County Extension Office Loblolly Pine August 22, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Pittsburgh Template:Flaglist Allegheny Observatory, Riverside Park Sweetgum October 3, 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Young Harris Template:Flaglist Young Harris College Loblolly Pine October 29, 2024 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
West Windsor Template:Flaglist West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South Sweetgum 2024 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Huntsville Template:Flaglist Monte Sano State Park Loblolly Pine March 20, 2025 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

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