One Giant Leaf
Unlike fellow Apollo 14 crewman Alan Shepard’s unauthorized yet memorable golfing stunt, however, Roosa’s “seedy” endeavour was part of a joint project by NASA and the U.S. Forest Service. The stated rationale was; what effect (if any) does the zero-gravity environment of outer space have on living seeds? Roosa and the tree seeds made dozens of orbits around the moon in the “Kitty Hawk” command module while Shepard and Mitchell piloted the LEM “Antares” to and from the lunar surface below. (image via Travel Salem)
Moon Tree Country
Once safely back on terra firma, it was time for Roosa’s precious cargo to strut their stuff – or at least, sprout their stuff. Project managers sent seeds to the southern Forest Service station in Gulfport, Mississippi and to the western station in Placerville, California, and instructed staff there to germinate the seeds if possible. (image via Travel Salem)
Tranquility Base or Buds
We’re not sure what NASA and the Forest Service expected but in the event, the vast majority of the seeds germinated successfully. The only problem was: what to do with approximately 420 viable, thriving Moon Tree seedlngs? Plant ’em, of course – here, there and (almost) everywhere! We’re not saying the experiment was over – some of the sprouts were planted alongside non-space-traveling seeds of the same species for comparison purposes. After several decades of growth, there’s no discernible difference between the mature tree pairs. (image via Travel Salem)
The Crater Good
There IS one difference, if one wants to be picky: some of the Moon Trees are protected by fencing and sport plaques explaining their youthful otherworldly adventure. No doubt the late Stuart Roosa (he passed in 1994) would be impressed… and pleased that his daughter, Rosemary Roosa (President and Executive Director of the Moon Tree Foundation), continues to “plant the seeds of inspiration” well into their second generation. (image via Steve Jurvetson)
Think the government doesn’t know their trees? Check out I Want You… To Recycle Your Old Christmas Tree!

