Stumpy (tree)

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Stumpy
Stumpy the Cherry Blossom Tree and Washington Monument 01 - Red Flowers and Whiskey.jpg
Stumpy the cherry tree at low tide
SpeciesYoshino Cherry Tree ( Prunus x yedoensis )
LocationWashington, DC
Date seeded1999 (1999) (est.)
Date felledMay 24, 2024 (2024-05-24)
Custodian National Park Service

Stumpy the Cherry Tree, often just called Stumpy, was a Yoshino cherry tree situated along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. [1] The tree became popular in the 21st century due to its battered appearance which was caused by repeated flooding of the basin. [2]

Contents

The tree became waterlogged in the 20th century due to repeated tidal flooding caused by land subsidence and rising sea levels. [3] The tree only had three to four flowering branches and a hollowed-out trunk by the time it became popular. [3] Stumpy was removed on May 24, 2024 as part of a project to repair the basin's sea wall. [4]

History

20th century: Planting and climate change

Stumpy is descended from the 3,020 trees gifted to the United States by Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki in 1912 as a symbol of Japanese-American friendship. [5] [6]

The National Park Service estimates that Stumpy was planted in 1999; however, because its trunk is hollowed and has no tree rings, it's difficult to know exactly how old the tree is. [7]

Climate change and the sinking of the Tidal Basin's sea wall contributed to the tree's demise. [8] [3] Overall, land has sunk by five feet while water levels had risen by one foot. [3] This combination had led to the land around the basin flooding twice a day at high tide. [8] In addition to being waterlogged, the tree is also victim to sun-scalding, overgrowth of fungi, and compacted soil. [7]

21st century: Rise to fame and removal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a Reddit user posted a photo of the tree in the "r/washingtondc" subreddit and compared Stumpy's appearance to their love life. [2] [1] Social media posts and accompanying traditional media increased the tree's notoriety. [8] Posts often focused on the ability of the tree to bloom despite its condition and harsh environment. [7] Axios, a news media outlet, also compared the tree to Tiny Timber, an undersized Christmas tree in D.C.'s Columbia Heights Civic Plaza in 2022. [9] After the tree's rise to fame, individuals had left flowers, art, gifts, and bottles of liquids at the base of the tree. [7]

The tree had been described by National Park Service workers as a 'folk hero', being the most asked-about tree along the Tidal Basin. [7] [2] Additionally, the tree had become anthropomorphized to the point that the public more often uses masculine pronouns than "it" when referring to the tree. [7]

In early 2024, it was announced by the National Park Service that Stumpy would be one of 153 cherry trees removed as part of a $113 million project to repair the Tidal Basin's sea wall. [2] By this time, Stumpy had become too brittle and hollowed out to be successfully transplanted to a different location. [8] [3] Instead, in April 2024, the National Park Service and National Arboretum took clippings of Stumpy to propagate new cherry trees that are genetically the same as Stumpy. [2] [8] These propagations have been referred to as "baby Stumpies" and "Stumpy 2.0" by media outlets. [8] The tree was removed on Friday, May 24, 2024. [4] [10] In mid-August 2024, the National Arboretum announced that the clippings of Stumpy had been successfully cloned, with five viable clones. [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Allen, Gabby (2024-03-14). "So long, Stumpy: A brief history of the beloved cherry tree". DC News Now | Washington, DC. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hung, Emily (2024-03-23). "'Stumpy,' a beloved Japanese cherry tree, makes its last bloom in Washington". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Fenston, Jacob (2024-03-19). "So long, Stumpy. More than 150 of D.C.'s cherry trees have to go as water rises". NPR.
  4. 1 2 More, Maggie (2024-05-24). "Long live Stumpy: Iconic cherry tree removed from DC's Tidal Basin". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  5. ↑ Constable, Pamela (2007-04-18). "Nurturing a Legacy of Fleeting Blossoms and Enduring Bonds". Washington Post.
  6. ↑ "Types of Trees - Cherry Blossom Festival (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ruf, Jessica (2024-03-20). "The Story Behind "Stumpy"—DC's Most Beloved Tree" . Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 More, Maggie (2024-03-23). "Why Stumpy, the 'Little Cherry Tree That Could,' can't be transplanted — and how he'll live on anyway". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  9. ↑ Montgomery, Mimi (March 15, 2024). "RIP Stumpy: D.C.'s favorite short king will be cut down this year". Axios D.C.
  10. ↑ Petworth, Prince of (2024-05-22). ""Stumpy is dead" (soon) - PoPville". PoPville - Welcome to the beautiful life. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  11. ↑ Swenson, Kyle (14 August 2024). "Stumpy 2.0: Clones of beloved Tidal Basin cherry tree are thriving". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "Meet Stumpy | Credit Union Cherry Blossom" . Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  13. ↑ More, Maggie (2025-05-03). "You can now preorder the Stumpy bobblehead of your dreams". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
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