
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
Hubble sees spiral galaxy in Lion's heart | Space photo of the day for Nov. 4 - 2
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket landed its booster on a barge at sea – an achievement that will broaden the commercial spaceflight market - 3
2025 Arctic League telethon raises more than $39k - 4
How a seabird native to Hawaii has adapted to life in Honolulu's concrete jungle - 5
Eat Well, Live Well: An Extensive Manual for Smart dieting and Sustenance
Shredded cheese recall: Multiple brands sold at Aldi, Target and Walmart affected over potential metal fragment contamination
Parents who delay baby's first vaccines also likely to skip measles shots
Obamacare enrollment declines as US subsidies expire
The Main 20 Gaming Control center Ever
Palestine weekly wrap: Protests sweep West Bank after death penalty law
I binged all 24 Hallmark Christmas movies in less than 30 days. I emerged a changed man.
Building an Individual Brand: Illustrations from Forces to be reckoned with
Japan prepares to restart world's biggest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima
UNICEF: More than 100 children killed in Gaza since ceasefire












