Stumpy, D.C.’s beloved short cherry tree, to be uprooted after cherry blossoms bloom

Cybele Mayes-Osterman
 USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – Stumpy’s days are numbered.

The beloved cherry tree – short on height but big on love – in Washington, D.C., is one of at least 140 trees slated for removal during a repair project this spring.

Stumpy sprouts from a spot on the waterlogged banks of the Tidal Basin just around the corner from the Jefferson Memorial. Its narrow trunk tapers off into a few spindly branches and twigs.

Stumpy’s underwhelming appearance hasn’t stopped it from winning hearts. With its small stature, Stumpy doesn’t look likely to muster the dazzling pink blossoms that draw visitors to the nation’s capital every spring. But Stumpy always blooms eventually, just less than some of its fellow cherry trees.

Stumpy went internet-famous in 2020, when a Reddit user posted its picture with the comment that the little tree is “as dead as my love life.” Commenters chimed in to remind the poster that Stumpy blooms too, however unlikely it may seem.

But the National Park Service on Wednesday announced a three-year, $113 million rehabilitation project around the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River that will involve trees being removed − including Stumpy.

The trees will be uprooted in late May and construction will continue through the early summer, the Park Service said.

“The reason Stumpy looks like he does is because the water comes over the seawall,” Mike Litterst, chief of communications for the Park Service, told USA TODAY. “So, to fix the seawall and fix that problem, he’s unfortunately one of the ones that’s going to have to be removed.”

Litterst said the removed trees will be mulched, and the mulch will be spread across the area to protect the trees that are still alive. Once the project is finished, 274 new cherry trees will be planted in their place.

The rehabilitation is necessary to counteract the toll of age, rising water levels and poor drainage on the seawalls of the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park, which are more than a century old, according to the National Park Service. Water flows over the walls twice a day in normal tide, eroding their structure and endangering trees and visitors.

More: Cherry blossom season is coming soon to Washington, DC: When is peak bloom?

Cherry blossom peak predicted next week

The sad news comes just a week before Washington’s cherry trees are predicted to reach full bloom from March 23 to 26, according to the park service. The pink blossoms, beloved by visitors and natives alike, usher in a season of springtime celebration in the nation’s capital.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off Friday with the annual pink tie party, where guests can show off their cherry-blossom-colored style. The festivities, which include a parade, fireworks and block party, stretch over the next month into mid-April.

The planned renovations won’t affect this year’s cherry blossom festival, and trails around the Tidal Basin will remain open, so visitors still have time to pay their respects to Stumpy.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

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