‘Moon Trees’ Continue to Thrive Decades After Apollo 14 Mission

More than five decades after a historic journey around the Moon, a unique group of trees planted across the United States continues to serve as a living reminder of one of NASA’s most unusual space experiments. Known as “Moon Trees,” these trees originated from seeds that travelled aboard the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 before returning to Earth and being planted in communities across the country.

The initiative began when astronaut Stuart Roosa carried hundreds of tree seeds during the Apollo 14 mission. Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smokejumper, took the seeds into space as part of a collaborative experiment between NASA and the United States Forest Service. While the seeds never landed on the lunar surface, they orbited the Moon multiple times aboard the spacecraft before returning safely to Earth.

Following the mission, scientists examined the seeds and found that many had survived their journey through space. The seeds were then germinated, producing saplings that came to be known as Moon Trees. Species included sycamore, loblolly pine, sweetgum, Douglas fir and redwood, among others.

In the years that followed, the young trees were distributed to parks, schools, universities and government institutions throughout the United States. Many were planted during celebrations marking the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, giving them both scientific and symbolic significance.

Today, numerous Moon Trees remain healthy and continue to grow, attracting interest from researchers, historians and space enthusiasts. Although studies found little difference between Moon Trees and trees grown from similar seeds on Earth, the project became a powerful symbol of scientific exploration and innovation.

The story has gained renewed attention as NASA prepares for future lunar missions through the Artemis Program. Inspired by the success of the original experiment, new batches of seeds have been sent on recent space missions, with plans to distribute future seedlings to educational institutions and public spaces.