San Dimas Moon Tree

San Dimas, California

Redwood planted 29 March 1977 at the San Dimas Technology and Development Center in San Dimas, California. The center is a satellite office of the USDA Forest Service. At planting, the tree was just over 15 inches tall.

The tree itself is a giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum), not a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). There is no record of giant redwood seeds being taken to the Moon in Stuart Roosa's personal kit, so it is not known if this is really a Moon Tree. The sign is very specific about where the seeds were collected and other details, but this doesn't match any of the records. The coast redwood seeds were collected in 1966 in Soquel, California (nowhere near the Six Rivers National Forest). It seems unlikely a giant redwood seed would have been mixed in with the coast redwood seeds. None of Stuart Roosa's seeds went down to the surface of the Moon (see history links below) so it is not clear why the sign states this. The sign is no longer at the site.

An article in La Verne magazine refers to online pictures of the 1977 tree planting ceremony with NASA representatives and signage, which seems to indicate that the seedling at the time was considered to be a real Moon Tree. At present it is not known if the seed actually went to the Moon, it may never be resolved.

Picture of the San Dimas tree circa 2002 with a display about the tree planting in 1977, and an early picture of the tree.

A Moon-circling sequoia puts down root in San Dimas

San Dimas Technology and Development Center

History of the Moon Tree Coast Redwoods
History of Stuart Roosa and the Moon Tree Seeds
Moon Tree Home Page

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 14 May 2024, DRW