Haywood Community College Moon Tree

Clyde, North Carolina

An American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) Moon Tree was planted on the campus of Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina, in 1976. The seedling was planted without an official ceremony by horticulture technician Doyle Justice and a few horticulture students. There was no plaque at that time, the sign shown above was installed later. The tree is healthy and stands about 95 feet tall circa 2022.

In April 2022 a dedication ceremony was held, led by College President Dr. Shelley White. Doyle Justice was a guest at the ceremony. An article on the dedication ceremony, "Space star honored at Earth Day celebrations", appeared in the April 25, 2022 issue of "The Mountaineer".

The tree is located just off Freedlander Drive about 0.2 miles from the campus entrance, on the right near hole number 16 on the disc golf course.

The sign reads:

MOON TREE
In 1971, Apollo 14 Astronaut Stuart Roosa carried small cans of seeds to the Moon as a favor to the
US Forest Service. The seeds from loblolly pines, American sycamores, sweetgums, redwoods,
and Douglas firs orbited the Moon thirty-four times. After the flight, the Forest Service
germinated the seeds and compared their growth to seedlings that had not been to space.
Several years later, the government shared the young Moon Trees as gifts around the world.
HCC's Moon Tree is an American sycamore.

Funding for this sign generously provided by the HCC Foundation.

Images courtesy Meg Smith
Other information courtesy Dawn Cusick, Shannon Rabby, and Adam Bigelow

Space star honored at Earth Day celebrations

History of the Sycamore Moon Trees
Moon Tree Home Page

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 12 August 2022, DRW