Apollo 14 launched January 31, 1971, carrying hundreds of tree seeds in Stuart Roosa's kit. Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper, orbited the Moon in "Kitty Hawk" while Shepard and Mitchell walked the surface. The NASA/USFS project aimed to study seed germination in space.
Upon return, the bags burst open, exposing seeds to vacuum, but germination proved successful. Seedlings were grown at Forest Service stations in Mississippi and California, then planted nationwide for the 1976 Bicentennial. Species included loblolly pine, sycamore, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir.
A loblolly pine was planted at the White House; trees were gifted to Brazil, Switzerland, and the Emperor of Japan. Locations include Koch Girl Scout Camp in Cannelton, Indiana; Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Washington Square in Philadelphia; and Valley Forge. Over 40 U.S. states reportedly received Moon Trees.
Stuart Roosa, born in Durango, Colorado, in 1933, remained involved with the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs until his retirement as a Colonel in 1994. The Moon Trees continue to flourish as a living monument to the Apollo program.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing