DCs favorite little cherry tree to be removed from Tidal Basin NBC Bay Area [Video]

You may have heard about Stumpy, the little cherry tree that could.

The tree is a social media sensation. A testament to the reality of climate change. A symbol of hope and perseverance in hard times, needed more than ever when he was first “discovered” in 2020.

But four years after his initial rise to fame, Stumpy’s time with us is coming to an end.

The National Park Service announced Wednesday that 159 cherry trees on the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park will be cut down later this year to make way for seawall repairs — and Stumpy, in his floodwater-ridden home, must go.

Logic dictates that Stumpy’s death is necessary. The $113 million, multi-year repair of the seawall is a critical investment, the NPS says. The seawall, which was first constructed in the 1800s, has sunk more than five feet over the years. The waters have also risen, and that means the Tidal Basin floods twice a day, every …