Fernwood’s Moon Tree

This special Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) grew from a seed that orbited the moon on Apollo 14 in February 1971 and was planted at Fernwood on April 23, 1976.

Apollo 14 Moon Trees

A Moon Tree is a tree grown from seeds that traveled into lunar orbit, with the first and most famous batch taken aboard Apollo 14 in 1971 by command module pilot Stuart Roosa. The seeds spent nine days in space and included the species Loblolly Pine, Sycamore, Sweet Gum, Redwood, and Douglas Fir. Upon returning to Earth, the seeds were germinated by the U.S. Forest Service and planted nationwide, often for the 1976 Bicentennial.

Fernwood’s Moon Tree was planted adjacent to the Japanese Garden off the public pathway. It was intended to be a temporary location and was planned to be moved to the garden’s 80-acre arboretum later. However, the tree grew quickly and thrived in its location, so it has remained there since April 1976!