
Stumpy lives again.
Clones of the scraggly, beloved cherry blossom tree felled two years ago in the nation’s capital have flowered for the first time this spring, reaching what federal officials described Wednesday as a “pinnacle achievement.”
The U.S. National Arboretum said in a statement that the plant material used to propagate the Yoshino cherry clones was collected in the summer of 2024. It was one of thousands that line the banks of the Tidal Basin reservoir between the Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorials.
The new trees are healthy and have put on substantial growth since forming their own root systems, according to the statement. They will remain at a non-public research area until the National Park Service can replant them, perhaps as soon as next spring, the arboretum said.
“It is our hope that the story and spirit of these trees will inspire future generations of cherry tree enthusiasts around the world — deepening cultural connections for years to come,” Richard Olsen, the arboretum’s director, said in a statement included in the release.
Stumpy sat on the banks of the Tidal Basin, near the National Mall. The tree rose to fame in 2020, with a viral Reddit post saying the tree was as dead as the user’s love life — but he still loved it.
With a hollow interior trunk, Stumpy was among 158 trees felled in 2024 as part of a project aimed at shoring up a sea wall near the National Mall.
Speaking to NBC News on the eve of Stumpy’s passing, a tourist compared the tree to the ugly duckling.
“It’s by itself, and it just stands out,” she said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Grass Care Administrations for a Wonderful, Sound Yard - 2
Vote in favor of Your Number one Cake Type - 3
Satellite constellations could obscure most space telescope observations by late 2030s: 'That part of the image will be forever lost' - 4
Cuba says 33 have died of mosquito-borne illnesses as epidemic rages - 5
Artemis 2 astronaut Victor Glover delivers inspiring Easter message on the way to the moon (video)
What we know about the 'Stranger Things' spinoff — plus the one cast member who guessed it correctly
What Yogurt Types Do You Know
The most effective method to Make a Dazzling Site in 5 Basic Advances
Here's what the Artemis 2 astronauts will be doing on each day of NASA's historic moon mission
Traveling Alone: An Excursion of Self-Disclosure
Claim that Israel opened 'sewage dam' into Gaza's main river undersells sanitation crisis
Mont Blanc road tunnel reopens to traffic after 15 weeks of repairs
Andrew McCarthy's awe-inspiring image of a skydiver in front of the sun
Burkina Faso must 'forget' about democracy, military leader says












