DC cherry blossoms: Stumpy to live on in spirit as Tidal Basin project nears

WASHINGTON - Washington, D.C. is one stage closer to peak bloom! Sadly, this will be Stumpy’s last hurrah!

The little Tidal Basin cherry tree gained its nickname and fame after a post about it went viral in 2020. A visitor had posted online, comparing the struggling tree to dying, like the visitor’s love. However, Stumpy kept on blooming! And fans keep sharing his continued fight!

The National Park Service confirmed Stumpy is one of about 140 Cherry Trees around the Tidal Basin (about 300 trees total in the area of some 2,000 cherry trees) that will have to come down as part of a $113 million multi-year repair to the Tidal Basin and West Potomac seawalls. 

READ MORE: Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off: Here's the history behind DC's iconic blooms

Portions of the seawall were built in the late 1800s and 1900s and have been both settling and crumbling. 

National Park Service spokesperson for the National Mall, Mike Litterst, tells FOX 5 the wall’s conditions and rising tides have led to the Tidal Basin often flooding, which is compromising both its iconic cherry trees and the surrounding monuments. 

"Twice-a-day, every day, the roots of the cherry trees are going under water. They’re just simply not equipped to handle that much water. You see there are no cherry trees around this bend, they’ve all be removed over the years. And until we fix the problem, which is the failing seawall, we’re not going to replace any of the trees," Litterst said.

READ MORE: DC’s Lego cherry blossoms reach peak bloom: photos

Will Stumpy be saved?

Litterst tells FOX 5, all the trees removed will be mulched and laid around the roots of the surviving trees to help protect them from foot traffic. The mulch will eventually become soil. Litterst says the soil will then feed the roots – meaning the trees will live on in spirit. 

But FOX 5 has learned there are plans for Stumpy to be clipped and propagated by Friends of the National Arboretum, and genetic matches or "clones" of Stumpy will be planted after construction is done. 

This cherry blossom season will be the last unobstructed cherry blossom peak bloom for a few years. 

Construction of the major renovation project is expected to begin in late spring or early summer of 2024. It’s expected to be completed in 2027. That means the cherry blossom seasons after 2024 will also have construction equipment and closures surrounding the trees. 

READ MORE: Tidal Basin construction to begin after Cherry Blossom Festival, National Park Service says

All Friday morning, people kept stopping to snap a photo with Stumpy. Many of the fans who came to say goodbye say they appreciate the message of perseverance Stumpy shared. They also understand why the project has to move forward. 

Litterst says to expect big crowds for the local hero this weekend. Stumpy is not expected to be taken down until around June. 

When the seawall is repaired, Litterst also noted that around 450 new trees will be planted around the Tidal Basin.