How D.C.'s Cherry Blossoms Are Maintained and Preserved

Preserving Living Monuments

• 🌳 The trees on the National Mall are considered living monuments, and arborists work to keep them thriving, healthy, and safe.
• ✂️ Proper pruning practices are employed for each tree, with any part that has lost structural integrity being removed, sometimes including the entire tree.

Soil Amendment and Health

• 🪵 Blankets of wood chips are applied to the soil; as they break down, they create a vital growing medium for the trees.
• ⚠️ The soils in the park, originally poor when brought in 100 years ago, have deteriorated further, making soil amendment crucial.

Challenges and Solutions

• 🌊 Rising waters in the Tidal Basin present a significant challenge to the health of the trees.
• 💔 The beloved cherry tree, Stumpy, was cut down to build a new seawall, which also necessitated the removal of 299 other trees.
• 🌱 Cloning Stumpy is underway, with cuttings taken to grow new trees at the National Arboretum, intended for reintroduction into the park.