A 390-Year-Old Bonsai Tree that Survived an Atomic Bomb
Washington DC’s National Arboretum will honor its oldest artifact this week: a 390-year-old bonsai tree from Japan. But perhaps more impressive than its age is the tree’s history—which was fortuitously revealed in 2001. The miniature white pine is actually a survivor of the 9,700-pound atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima and was quietly donated to the museum in 1976 by bonsai master Masaru Yamaki. “I find it amazing that [he] could give a priceless bonsai basically to his enemy and not say a word about it,” said Felix Laughlin, the president of the National Bonsai Foundation.
Via washingtonpost.com link opens in a new window
