In 1971, NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa carried seeds from five tree species on the Apollo 14 mission. After returning to Earth, the seeds were germinated, and the resulting seedlings, known as Moon Trees, were distributed to schools, state capitals, national parks, NASA centers, and dignitaries around the world.

Building on this legacy, in 2022, NASA’s Artemis Program sent a new generation of Moon Tree seeds into space, where they orbited the moon for four weeks aboard the Orion spacecraft. When they returned to Earth, Forest Service scientists studied and germinated the seeds, and Madison Square Park Conservancy (MSPC) was chosen by NASA to receive one of the seedlings!

On July 16, join Madison Square Park Conservancy for a celebration inspired by our Moon Tree, an American Sweetgum sapling grown from seeds that traveled around the Moon aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission. 

Commemorating the 57th anniversary of the first lunar space launch, this free, all-ages event will feature safe solar viewing, hands-on science experiments, scavenger hunts, an interactive Moon Tree art gallery, guided tours of our Celestial Gardens, and “Ask a Scientist” sessions with working experts. Click here to read more and register.

THE PLANTINGS

Each year, MSPC curates a special horticulture installation, planting around 10,000 annuals tied to a specific theme. This year’s display, Celestial Gardens, takes its theme from the Moon Tree and the recent Artemis II lunar mission.

Celestial Gardens features plants with shapes, colors, names, and other attributes that evoke space and celestial bodies, including evening- and night-blooming flowers, orb-shaped flowers, plants with thematically relevant names (e.g., Cosmos), and plants with the palettes and patterns of dawn, dusk, the sun, night, and stars.

THE POEMS

You’ll find celestial-themed poetry sprinkled among the plantings, inviting you to reflect on the connections between our natural world and worlds beyond.

Poems by Humberto Ak’abal, Catherine Barnett, Sandra Lim, Campbell McGrath, and Kevin Young are curated by and presented in partnership with the Poetry Society of America. A special new poem by New York State Poet Laureate Kimiko Hahn was commissioned by MSPC to celebrate the journey of the park’s Moon Tree.

MOON TREE

Species: American Sweetgum – Liquidambar styraciflua
Seed Collection Site: Rapides Parish, LA
Natural Range: Eastern North America

Only the second Moon Tree to land in New York City, the American Sweetgum on Farragut Lawn was planted by MSPC’s horticulture team in April 2025. The species is known for its distinctive star-shaped leaves, vibrant fall colors, and adaptability to various climates.

Though the American Sweetgum is not native to Manhattan, the tree is a good fit with MSPC’s tree conservation plan, as it has adapted to handle warming temperatures.

Read more about the Moon Tree in TimeOut New York.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Moon Tree Educational Resources
• NASA Moon Trees
• Celestial Summer Planting Guide
• Scavenger Hunt
• Coloring Pages