Some tree species, such as weeping willows, camphor trees, persimmons, and eucalyptus, have stood strong and sprouted new shoots despite having endured many scars from the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
When an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in the final days of World War II, much of the life in the city was obliterated. Approximately 140,000 people died, and over 60,000 buildings were destroyed in an instant. However, amidst the ruins and against all odds, several trees in the center of the bombing site survived, becoming silent witnesses to the power of nuclear weapons, according to IFL Science.
Decades-old eucalyptus tree next to Hiroshima Castle, 740m from the bomb’s epicenter. The tree has survived even though the castle was destroyed. (Photo: Wikimedia).
In a grassy park along the Honkawa River in Naka-ku, a weeping willow (Salix babylonica) that was planted long before World War II stands just 370 meters from the bomb’s epicenter. The unusual T-shaped Aioi Bridge was chosen as a bombing target due to its distinctive shape when viewed from above. Although the trunk was broken by the force of the Little Boy bomb, it still exists today, even sprouting many new shoots from its base.
Green Legacy Hiroshima is a group of residents, scientists, and politicians dedicated to commemorating the trees that survived the atomic bombing of the city. “I realize that trees are extremely important because they can be used to highlight various issues, including history and the natural environment, oppose war, and hope for the abolition of nuclear weapons,” said Dr. Nassrine Azimi, a senior advisor at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and co-founder of Green Legacy Hiroshima along with Tomoko Watanabe.
The survivor trees of the bombing are known as hibakujumoku. The Green Legacy Hiroshima organization has documented 62 hibakujumoku trees in Hiroshima. Along with various willows, the list includes a range of other species such as giant camphor trees, persimmons, eucalyptus, and Yoshino cherry trees.
A similar initiative is taking place in Nagasaki, another Japanese city that was bombed with atomic weapons in August 1945. Named the Nagasaki Kusunoki Project, the group reports that there are at least 50 hibakujumoku trees within a 4 km radius of the bomb’s epicenter. Many survivor trees bear scars from the bomb’s explosive force, fires, or radioactive dust that blanketed the city. However, they have persisted through the years. Trees have a remarkable ability to withstand radiation. Resilient species like birch can endure radiation levels of 50 Gy with minimal damage, while humans can perish from exposure to even a fraction of that amount.
One of the goals of Green Legacy Hiroshima is to distribute seeds and saplings of hibakujumoku to other parts of the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom. They estimate that descendants of the survivor trees from the atomic bombing are growing in at least 40 countries worldwide.
