The Word On Hughes Place: A Cherry Blossom’s Last Hurrah
Apr 20, 2026
A day after New Haveners descended beneath the canopy of cherry blossoms lining Hughes Place, a United Illuminating-hired crew was out sawing off the branches.
And Wanda Bubriski was rushing to save the branches from the wood chipper so the neighborhood could enjoy one last round of season
al blossom beauty.
That was the scene Monday morning on Hughes Place by the corner of Greene Street.
A day earlier hundreds swarmed Wooster Square Park for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. A highlight as usual was the canopy of trees lining the street just north of the park on Hughes Place. The nature gods kept the blossoms in those trees in full pink bloom while some others nearby had already started turning green.
The crowds were long gone Monday when a two-person crew from Lewis Tree Service pulled up for a scheduled trimming session. (See above video.)
Crew member Pablo Pieneda (pictured) said UI hired the crew to clear the primary and secondary power lines.
Bubriski (pictured) watched as the branches and petals fluttered to the ground. She brought out a garbage can from her apartment in the Townhouses on the Square complex to hold some of the branches on her patio. She reserved others to offer to neighbors.
“They’re beautiful. They’re still in blossom. It seems a shame to just toss them,” she said, adding, as a neighbor appeared, “Diana, do you want some.”
Bubriski, a retired architectural historian, moved to her apartment from Branford last fall. She has planted 201 bulbs on her property including tulips and daffodils and hyacinths.
“It just breaks my heart that these trees have to be subjected to the wills of the power lines,” she reflected. She wondered aloud why New Haven can’t bury its power lines to avoid amputating its trees.
On the other hand, she noted, the branches will grow back. She’ll enjoy watching nature’s glory regenerated.
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