Alabama's Moon Tree

 In 1971, astronauts carried to orbit the Moon, and then back to Earth, a container of tree seeds, distributing them to the states once they had grown into seedlings.

There are four of the resulting "Moon Trees"in Alabama, three Loblolly Pines and a Sycamore.

 

 

     This pine tree is on the grounds of the Alabama Capitol Building. near the statue of Governor John Patterson.

The other trees are in Tuscumbia, Birmingham and Troy.

 

The Apollo 14 capsule with the seeds on board lands on February 9, 1971, 765 nautical miles south of American Somoa. The crew was flown by chopper to a recovery ship. The capsule is at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.