After more than 140 years, a massive fig tree gracing the plaza where Los Angeles was founded collap

[Eugene]

Source: Los Angeles Times

After more than 140 years, a massive fig tree gracing the plaza where Los Angeles was founded collapses

By MATTHEW ORMSETH
MAR 09, 2019 | 5:00 AM


A toppled Moreton Bay fig at El Pueblo de Los Angeles on March 2. (El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument)


They were doing the line dance when what sounded like firecrackers split the air.

Because the sound was to be expected at a Chinese lantern festival, no one immediately noticed the demise of a fig tree that for 144 years had watched skyscrapers built around it and a freeway carved out beside it; that saw the changing fashions and hairstyles of the people beneath it; that sheltered a growing number of homeless people from rain and sun.

It wasn’t the sound of firecrackers. It was the sound of a tree dying.

“We saw the lanterns attached to the tree start to go,” said Teena Apeles, whose daughter’s troupe was waiting to perform at the March 2 festival. “We knew something was wrong.”

-snip-

The four figs were planted at El Pueblo by agriculturalist and City Councilman Elijah Hook Workman, KCET reported in 2013. The Ficus macrophylla was brought from Australia to Southern California in the 1860s and 1870s, probably to provide shade and ornamentation, said Donald Hodel, a horticulture advisor for the University of California’s Cooperative Extension.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-pueblo-tree-falls-20190309-story.html

[Demovictory9]

1. i know that tree

[Raine]

9. I do too

so sad...

[rufus dog]

2. well that sucks

You would think we would be smart enough to provide the tree with proper nutrients.

[gristy]

4. sometimes, they just die. Of old age.

[Hekate]

5. Probably reached its natural life-span. Cities usually take good care of trees like that, though...

...so I'm a bit surprised there wasn't anything about that.

There's a Moreton Bay Fig tree in Santa Barbara, where I used to live, and it is quite the local landmark. It is at least a century old as well.

[Brother Buzz]

15. The one in in Santa Barbara is a whopping five years younger, healthier, and believe to be....

the largest Moreton Bay Fig Tree in the United States.

I never saw the big one in Santa Barbara, but I walked around and examined another Moreton Bay Fig Tree that was down in a park near the harbor, and while it wasn't a record breaker, it was impressive in size.

[suffragette]

22. I remember seeing that fig tree in Santa Barbara years ago. Truly beautiful and unusual.

[Codeine]

10. It had reached its expected lifespan.

They normally live 100-150 years.

[rufus dog]

23. In the article it states that the trees can live up to 200 years

and that they need the decomposing leaves for nutrients. The one in Santa Barbara is in a park, this one was more of a planter setting with concrete covering most of the root system.

Now I am jumping to the conclusion that the cement had a negative impact on the life span.

[Codeine]

25. Other sources place that species

as having a lifespan in the range I gave. I’m using Australian sources, so I’m assuming they’re more accurate than the article.

Also, we’ve had a crazy amount of rain here in Southen California lately. That has been fucking up a lot of old trees. They have been splitting or just falling right over right and left in my city, sadly.

The stupid ugly-ass palm trees seem to be doing fine though. Hate those things.

[rufus dog]

27. That makes some sense

I just know the one in Santa Barbara has a masive root system, large enough to sit on. Just seems strange that they could actually put cement around the one in LA, you would think the cement would just be lifted and crack after a decade.

As for palms, they are the AOC described moderates of trees, Meh. Rare to see one go down though.

[2naSalit]

3. ...

[Quixote1818]

6. Well, that Fig-ures. nt

[oasis]

26. lol

[IcyPeas]

7. sad. nothing lasts long in Los Angeles it seems

whether by humans or nature.

[Shrike47]

8. Wikipedia says that kind of fig lives for 'over 100 years in the wild.'

[procon]

12. It was a huge tree.

We've visited the plaza many times and I always thought the tree was neglected and needed some serious pruning just to keep the branches strong enough to withstand our high winds. Maybe the TPTB thought pruning would somehow make the massive tree less of a tourist attraction if it wasn't as thick and bushy, so they let it grow too top heavy and this was the predictable result.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

13. I know the tree too.

I suspect the demise was associated with the very heavy rains we've experienced this winter after years of drought.

More than a few big old trees have toppled.

[SunSeeker]

14. Oh no! I've walked under that tree so many times. It was the gateway to historic Olvera street.

This is heartbreaking.

[Honeycombe8]

16. I hate to see a tree that old go.

I really do.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. How sad.

But it does seem that it was at the end of its natural life span.

I hope they plant a replacement.

[sinkingfeeling]

18. Sad.

[BigmanPigman]

19. There is another huge on in San Diego at Balboa Park

behind the Natural History Museum. It is over 100 years old.
https://www.sdnhm.org/blog/blog_details/the-moreton-bay-fig-tree-a-balboa-park-icon/28/

There are three in my yard around my apt and they are very messy trees, always dropping their "fruit". Apparently the original planners wanted trees that would grow quickly and make the condo more attractive. As the trees age their extremely shallow roots pop out of the ground. When I look out my back door all I see are roots, not even soil. I do like them though as they do provide shade and do not need much water.

[krispos42]

20. More proof that God hates figs.

Jeremiah 8:13
I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

[luvallpeeps]

21. This made me a tiny bit sad.

So I remembered about fig wasps. This is so interesting and kind of bizarre.

[MineralMan]

24. Wow! I remember that tree from High School field trips.

Nothing is immortal, I guess. There's another wonderful old Moreton Fig in Santa Barbara, down near the harbor.

[samnsara]

28. can they clone a little sprout and call it Sprout?