RICHMOND, Ind. — A moon tree is growing in Indiana, and it isn't the first.
On Aug. 2, the Hayes Arboretum in Richmond announced it had been chosen to host a 'moon tree.'
The Sweetgum tree is back on land after traveling 270,000 miles to the moon and back as part of the Artemis I mission.
Almost 1,000 seeds were carried in the Orion capsule, which orbited the moon as part of the mission. The seeds came from American Sycamore, Sweetgum, Douglas Fir, Loblolly Pine, and Giant Sequoia trees.
One of those seeds has grown into a seedling that now planted in Richmond.
This isn't the first moon tree to come to Indiana.
The original moon trees
Back in 1971, the Apollo 14 mission carried tree seeds as well.
NASA wanted to see how a journey to the moon would impact the development of the trees. After the seeds were taken back to earth they were distributed.
But NASA admits it didn't really keep track of where they went.
In 1996, a third-grade teacher asked NASA about it and planetary scientist built the moon tree database.
Indiana had six moon trees. Four of them are Sycamores, two are Sweetgums.
One of the Sycamores is planted in front of the Indiana Statehouse.
Indiana is also home to what are called "half-moon" trees.
The two Sweetgums, planted in Tell City, recently died.
But before they did, some of their branches were clipped and grown into saplings.
Those saplings will grow into "half-moon" trees, the second generation of moon trees.
The Richmond sweetgum
The moon tree at the Hayes Arboretum was the 23rd one distributed by NASA since Artemis I.
It was planted on May 30, 2023.
It will be officially dedicated on Aug. 9 at 4:30 p.m.
NASA and the USDA will continue distributing moon trees through Fall of 2025.
