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TONIGHT, WE TRACKED DOWN A PERSON WITH ANSWERS. >> MY KIDS TEASE ME AND SAY, "ONLY MOM WOULD REMEMBER THAT FAR BACK." CHRISTINE: THIS IS FORMER NEW MEXICO FIRST LADY CLARA APODOCA. >> THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. LOOK AT THAT. CHRISTINE: THIS IS HER FROM A 1976 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE IN WHICH SHE IS BEING GIVEN SAPLINGS THAT WERE GROWN FROM SEEDS TAKEN TO THE MOON DURING THE 1971 APOLLO MOON LANDING. >> YEAH, THAT IS ME. OH, MY GOD. CHRISTINE: FIVE OF THESE TREES WERE GIVEN TO THE STATE AND PLANTED IN ALBUQUERQUE, ALAMOGORDO, SILVER CITY, CAPITAN , AND HERE AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN SANTA FE. A TARGET 7 INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED THAT NO ONE KEPT TRACK OF THESE TREES. AT LEAST THREE HAD DIED, AND NO ONE WAS SURE WHETHER ANY WERE LIVING IN NEW MEXICO. UNITL NOW. >> THAT IS IT. THAT IS THE MOON TREE FOR NEW MEXICO. CHRISTINE: AFTER OUR STORY AIRED, TARGET 7 REACHED OUT TO THE FORMER FIRST LADY, AND OFFICIALS AT THE STATE CAPITOL HAD A NATURALIST LOOK AT THIS DOUGLAS FIR. THEY BOTH BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOON TREE. >> I AM EXCITED WE FOUND IT. I AM EXCITED YOU GUYS CALLED ME. I AM EXCITED CHANNEL 7 IS DOING THIS IN DEPTH INVENTORY OF THE TREES, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T KNOW. THE NEW GENERATION DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE MOON TREES. CHRISTINE: NEW MEXICO OULD HAVE ONE OTHER LIVING MOON TREE. THIS ONE IN SILVER CITY. IT WAS AN AMERICAN SYCAMORE AND IT WAS PLANTED BY SILVER CITY NATIVE AND APOLLO 17 ASTRONAUT HARRISON SCHMITT. TARGET 7 REACHED OUT TO THE ASTRONAUT, AND HE COULD NOT REMEMBER PLANTING THE TREE, BUT WE DO KNOW THIS IS THE ONLY AMERICAN SYCAMORE IN TOWN, S

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The mystery of New Mexico’s missing moon trees may be solved.Former New Mexico First Lady Clara Apodaca believes that a Douglas Fir tree surrounded by other trees and shrubs in a grassy area north of the state capitol is a moon tree.She should know. She helped plant it 43 years ago.“That's it,” Apodaca said while pointing at the four-story tall tree. “That's the moon tree from New Mexico.”Five trees that were grown from seeds taken to the moon during the 1971 Apollo 17 moon landing were given to New Mexico.They were planted in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Silver City, Capitan and at the state Capitol in Santa Fe.A Target 7 investigation discovered that no one kept track of these trees, at least three had died and no one was sure whether any were living. After KOAT reported earlier this year story aired, Target 7 reached out to the former first lady. She is seen in a 1976 article receiving a moon tree sapling that was to be planted. Newspaper accounts have her at two planting ceremonies.“Yeah that’s me,” Apodaca said when she saw her picture. “Oh my God.”Officials at the state Capitol had a naturalist look at a tree they believed was the moon tree. It’s species and age matched.They took Target 7 and Apodaca to the tree.“My kids tease me, ‘only mom would remember that far back’,” Apodaca said. “I remember everything."As soon as Apodaca saw the tree, she had a feeling.“That’s it. I am sure. I am sure that’s it,” she said, staring at the tree just outside of the Round House. “Look how tall it is. It is beautiful.”Apodaca said she believes there should be a rededication ceremony and a plaque put by the tree.“I am excited we found it,” Apodaca said. “I am excited you guys called me. I am excited Channel 7 is doing this in-depth inventory of the trees because people don't know. The new generation doesn’t know anything about these moon trees.”New Mexico could have one other living moon tree in Silver City’s Gough Park. It was an American sycamore, and it was planted by Silver City native and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt.Target 7 reached out to the astronaut and he couldn't remember planting the tree, but there is only one American sycamore in Gough Park, so it could very well be, a living moon tree.