Monmouth County Moon Tree

Monmouth County, New Jersey

According to the June 11, 1976 (Shrewsbury, NJ) Daily Register (page 17), a sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) Moon Tree was to be planted at the Monmouth County Courthouse, but was being "nursed back to health" before it was ready for planting.

There are reports that the tree is not there or has been cut down.

The article reads as follows:
Moon tree readied for courthouse site
FREEHOLD - Monmouth County's ailing "moon tree" is being nursed back to health at the greenhouse of Mrs. Margaret C. Crooks, member of the Monmouth County Shade Tree Commission.
After its restoration to good health, the tree will be planted at the county courthouse. The tree, an American sycamore, is a delicate 18-inch cutting grown from a seed that traveled to the moon and returned to earth on Apollo 14. Not yet strong enough for planting, the tree is getting careful attention and a diet of special fertilizer.
The specimen was obtained for the U.S. Southern Forest Experiment Station, Gulfport, Miss., and was dedicated to the county at a ceremony recently.

Article courtesy of Shrewsbury, NJ, Daily Register

History of the Moon Tree Sycamores

Moon Tree Home Page

Author/Curator:
Dr. David R. Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov
NSSDCA, Mail Code 690.1
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
+1-301-286-1258

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NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 9 September 2023, DRW