Today might be Arbor Day in Portugal, but it’s also execution day for the cherry tree known as Stumpy whose gnarled trunk and unlikely blooms have graced the seawalls around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. Despite his less-than-ideal looks, the problem isn’t Stumpy at all, but the seawall beneath him, which the National Park Service has deemed inadequate to handle the rising tides around the nation’s capital. Flooding around the Tidal Basin has imperiled the other cherry trees, whose blossoms people flock to see each spring, making Stumpy’s demise a sacrifice for the team. The Park Services plans to rip out all the cherry trees to complete the $113 million seawall rehabilitation, after which they’ll replant them ahead of the 250th anniversary of Independence Day in 2026. Photo courtesy Joe Flood via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED.
NCPA
