But nature had other plans.
Today, over six decades after the atomic bomb, Hiroshima is a green and vibrant modern city.
Though broken and badly charred, they survived and soon were healthy again.
Today, they are officially registered as A-bombed trees.
According to the City of Hiroshima, there are about 170 survivor trees representing 32 different species.
The tree closest to the hypocenter is a Weeping Willow, which stands 370 meters away from the blast.
Another Weeping Willow stands near Seishonen and the Baseball Stadium, 450 meters away from ground zero.
A partial list of A-bomb survivors can be foundon this page.
One of the two pillars of the Sanno Shrine Torii was toppled by the A-bomb blast.
