An inspired and deeply symbolic initiative has emerged from one of mankind's great tragedies, the 1945 atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Incredibly, over 160 trees of 30 species located within a 2km radius of the atomic bomb's hypocentre survived this attack, and descendants of three of these beautiful, hardy specimens are now growing in the Arderne Gardens. These trees, which represent peace, hope and resilience, are also being planted in other countries around the world as part of the Green Legacy Hiroshima initiative.
KUROGANE HOLLY (Ilex rotunda)
The holly tree was growing at the Hiroshima Castle, 910m from the hypocentre (middle) of the bomb blast. It was completely burned, leaving only a stump, but then miraculously sprouted again in 1949.
PERSIMMON (Diospyros kaki)
The persimmon was growing alongside other trees, around 530m from the hypocentre of the bomb blast, close to the beautiful Kokutaiji Temple, which was built in 1601.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
The large ginkgo tree, more than 200 years old, was growing in Shukkeien Garden, 1370m from the hypocentre. It is slanting towards the hypocentre because after the blast moved outwards from the city center, the air gushed back in. Althrough it was badly burnt, it sprouted a few years later.
THE HIROSHIMA TREE PLANTING CEREMONY
In August 2017, the Friends of the Arderne Gardens hosted a special ceremony to plant several trees of three survivor species: Ginkgo, Persimmon and Kurogane Holly. These were initially grown from seed at Kirstenbosch and gifted to Arderne Gardens by the Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) initiative. The event was attended by Ms Tomoko Watanabe, co-founder of GLH in Japan, as well as representatives from the Japanese Consulate in Cape Town.
"Over the years and in the course of many walks, we have come to appreciate the resilience, generosity, beauty, and particular significance of Hiroshima’s special residents: trees that lived through the atomic bombing. These witnesses of nuclear tragedy carry a significant message - not just for those living in or visiting Hiroshima but for all humanity." (Green Legacy Hiroshima)