Lady Cynthia, Ladysmith’s massive, magnificent pink-blossomed rhododendron, has lost some of her glory.
During the Dec. 20 windstorm, two of its three major branches broke off at the base, leaving only one branch, Ladysmith historian Rob Johnson said Friday.
The 120-year-old shrub, which was 30 feet across and 25 feet high, attracted international attention after it was listed online, including by the art and design website BoredPanda, as one of the most beautiful trees in the world — even though it’s not technically a tree.
“Lady Cynthia is a symbol of our town,” said Johnson, past president of the historical society and the Chamber of Commerce.
It’s not clear if the rhododendron will die.
One stem has survived and is a significant size, said Johnson, who hopes Lady Cynthia will continue to flourish.
Peter Richmond, owner of the Kitchener Street property where Lady Cynthia has become a tourist attraction, feels bad about the damage, said Johnson.
“One of his concerns about buying the home was becoming the caretaker of the rhododendron bush. So they brought in an arbourist to prune it a bit and make sure it was well fertilized, but unfortunately, you can’t do anything about the wind.”
Johnson is the one who came up with the idea of naming the rhododendron. He’s not sure if the shrub came from a cutting of the first Cynthia rhodos planted in Beacon Hill Park in the early 1890s or if it came from England.
“It’s been planted on that hillside for about 120 years,” said Johnson. “There’s a natural spring, so watering was not a problem and it got great sun exposure by being at the crest of the hill.”
Johnson estimated Lady Cynthia had 5,000 blossoms on Mother’s Day 2018.
He said he and Richmond have discussed taking cuttings from the two broken branches to carry on the history.
“The Town of Ladysmith is planning to build a new city hall, so I’d love to see a couple of Lady Cynthia bushes in the landscaping there.”
Johnson would also like to save some cuttings and use them as a fundraiser.
“Lady Cynthia will still be a landmark, but unfortunately not one of the 15 most beautiful trees in the world,” he said.
“Hopefully, because Peter and his family love the tree, they’ll do all they can to preserve it. We want it around for the 125th anniversary of Ladysmith in 2029 and hopefully there will be hundreds of babies spreading their joy.”
