Photographer Carol Guzy reflects on the final days of Stumpy, a small-but-mighty cherry tree at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.
Erica Grieg kisses Stumpy, the beloved cherry tree that used to be at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.Updated July 8, 2024
At dawn on Easter Sunday, rays of light emanated from the Jefferson Memorial over Stumpy like the resurrection. It felt profound and sacred. It was a lesson in slowing down and embracing tranquility. I’m a news photographer. These are not usually words in my vocabulary. She pondered existential questions with me: Do trees have emotions? Feel pain? Do they have a soul that moves on somewhere in this great mystery called life?
Soon petals fell like snow as if the trees were weeping for their last season. The final days were bittersweet and poignant. A rainbow appeared as if all of nature itself was offering Stumpy a grand goodbye. A flock of goslings cuddled up to the base of his trunk, appearing to offer comfort. It gave us chills.
There was also another alternative. I reached out to the Smithsonian to inquire about the possibility of preserving Stumpy there and was told they had already queried the NPS and been rejected. It seems shortsighted. At least cuttings will be propagated at the Arboretum, but there will never be another Stumpy.
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