Illinois State Capitol Tree

Springfield, Illinois

A sycamore ((Platanus occidentalis) Moon Tree was planted on the lawn of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois on 29 April 1976. The tree was originally planned to be planted on Arbor Day, 30 April, 1976, but was moved one day. The seedling was planted by Governor Daniel Walker and Tony Dean, Director of the Department of Conservation. Dean presented walker with a plaque to be placed in the ground near the tree. The status of the tree is not known. The article above is from the April 30 issue of the Chicago, Illinois Daily Herald.

The seeds for the sycamores were collected by the U.S. Forest Service in Claiborne County, Mississippi. After their return to Earth, they were grown at the U.S. Forest Service Institute of Forest Genetics (IFG) southern station in Gulfport, Mississippi before being sent out as seedlings. More detail on the history of the Sycamore Moon Trees is available.

Clipping above courtesy Daily Herald.
Information courtesy Fred Kelso and Mark Thomson.
Thanks to newspapers.com

Moon Tree Home Page

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 1 August 2023, DRW