Stumpy, a hollow, misshapen cherry tree located on the south bank of the Tidal Basin in Washington, was cut down last Friday alongside dozens of other trees for a sea-wall-rebuilding effort led by the National Park Service.
But Stumpy finally succumbed to a chain saw, and it will soon be mulched and spread across areas of the National Mall.
Stumpy reached celebrity status this spring when it appeared on CBS News’s “Sunday Morning” and “The Drew Barrymore Show.” In addition, Stumpy was visited by a delegation from the Embassy of Japan, two of the Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents, and the assistant principal trumpet for the National Symphony Orchestra.
Stumpy was a crowd favorite at the Tidal Basin. A line or huddle would often form near the tree as people took turns taking photographs and selfies. The wait could take five to 10 minutes.
Fans of Stumpy desperately tried to save the tree and called for it to be replanted somewhere else, but the Park Service held firm with plans to remove it. “Stumpy would not survive the move,” Matthew Morrison, an arborist for the Park Service, said in an email.
Stumpy’s age was estimated to be 25 by the Park Service. A photo from 14 years ago shows Stumpy was a larger and healthier tree located in a row of large cherry trees along the south bank of the Tidal Basin. But flooding killed many of the trees and distressed others like Stumpy.
After the new sea wall is built, the Park Service will plant 455 trees, including 274 cherry trees. Clones of Stumpy created at the National Arboretum will also be planted.
Stumpy will be remembered as a survivor. It was the little tree that could, the underdog tree, and the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Stumpy will be a hard act to follow for future trees planted at the Tidal Basin.
Did you get a chance to visit Stumpy this spring during peak bloom, or past years? Please share any thoughts or memories.
