Cape May Plants ‘Space Shuttle Tree’

CAPE MAY — A white pine tree grown from seeds flown aboard Space Shuttle Columbia was planted Thur. April 12 on the grounds of the Colonial House Museum, the 1730 era headquarters of the Greater Cape May Historical Society at 653 Washington St
The tree was one of only 35 Eastern white pines grown from seeds that traveled aboard the 22nd flight of Space Shuttle Columbia in April 1997.
The tree was won by the Shade Tree Commission at an October Shade Tree Federation meeting in Cherry Hill.
It is called a space shuttle tree because in 1997 astronaut Gregory Linteris, a New Jersey native, took the seeds with him on his voyage on the Space Shuttle Columbia. NASA gave them to the New Jersey Forestry Service. The seeds germinated in only seven days, about half the normal germination time.
Jay Schatz, chairman of the city’s Shade Tree Commission and Fiore Mannella, a shade tree commission member and Cape May Public Works employee planted the tree.
Greater Cape May Historical Society President Harry Bellangy said a plaque would be placed next to the tree in honor of seven crewmembers that died when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up during reentry Feb. 1, 2003.