"Moon tree" planted in Metro Detroit decades ago rediscovered after Artemis II mission

An unassuming tree in Ferndale's Wilson Park has more history than any other in the area. What is called the "moon tree" all began with a deal between NASA and an elementary school that used to be in the Ferndale neighborhood. 

The story of the Ginkgo Biloba tree is now kept alive by both Mary K. Fredricks and a plaque in Wilson Park. In the late 80's and early 90's, students at the now-closed Wilson Elementary School responded to NASA astronauts' requests to submit seeds of trees and shrubs for a space project aimed at discerning how seeds would germinate in space. 

"Sure enough, the seeds that they sent up did germinate, and they got their seeds back, but this time it wasn't a seed, it was a tree, and it was only about that big," said Fredericks.

While Ferndale has a little piece of cool astronomical history, one of the first moon trees in all of America is on the other side of the state at the Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles. 

"An astronaut named Stuart Roosa, he brought thousands of tree seeds on the Apollo 14 mission that was in 1971," said Elaine Rowland, the director of marketing and community engagement at Fernwood Botanical Garden.

Rowland says there is now a newfound bump in interest in the moon tree at the garden because of the Artemis II mission. The botanical garden was given the seed to their moon tree in 1976.

"So we're getting ready to celebrate our 50th anniversary of getting our moon tree being planted at Fernwood. It's a very happy tree. It's a Sycamore. It's about 50 feet high," said Rowland.

The moon tree in Ferndale is a little smaller, but the history is just as long. 

"And we have it in Ferndale, and that's what's really neat about it," said Fredericks.

Fredricks hopes that one of those students at the old Wilson Elementary School comes forward and reaches out to her about their experience helping plant the seeds for this historic tree.