The U.S. National Arboretum announced Tuesday that clippings from the original cherry tree on the Tidal Basin ... the new experience of a different location can be hard on any tree's root system.

A scraggly-looking tree on the southeast part of the Tidal Basin, near the Jefferson Memorial, captured the hearts of D.C. residents in 2020. Three years later, “Stumpy” is still going strong.

“We suggest respecting the trees by staying off the root systems as much as possible to avoid compacting the soil," Meyer said. "Also, don't touch the tree, you know, it's easy to want to grab ...

When wood chips are applied over the root zones, he said, “you can pretty much turn your back on the tree,” adding that “it would never need any fertilizer, amendments” or supplemental water.

When you plant a cherry tree in your backyard, you can choose from a potted or bare-root tree, depending on how they are sold at your local garden center. A bare-root tree is sold without any soil.

It was a sad farewell in D.C. when a beloved Tidal Basin cherry tree had to be removed last spring, but there’s hope on the horizon as cuttings from “Stumpy” have taken root.

The tree was an iconic part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival before it was removed for a $113 million, three-year-long sea wall project along the basin. However, next spring, hope is blooming .

This year’s cherry blossom festivities in Washington will be the last for Stumpy and nearly 150 other cherry trees that will be cut down as part of a multiyear restoration of their Tidal Basin home.