George Harrison memorial tree killed by actual beetles

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/07/22/memorial-tree-for-george-harrison-killed-by-a-swarm-of-beetles/

A tree planted as a memorial to musician George Harrison has fallen victim to a swarm of pesky beetles. Really.

Somewhere in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park a bunch of bark beetles and ladybug beetles with a good sense of humor laid claim to the Beatles legend’s memorial tree, according to the LA Times:

In the truth is stranger than fiction department, Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose district includes Griffith Park, told Pop & Hiss over the weekend that the pine tree planted in 2004 near Griffith Observatory in memory of George Harrison will be replanted shortly because the original tree died as the result of an insect infestation.

Harrison, who lived in Los Angeles for the final years of his life, was also an avid gardener. It is unclear when the new tree will be planted.

Until then, the beetles have won. For now.

Were they silver?

I have a feeling George would be laughing his ass off.

This seems like the kind of thing where you just shrug your shoulders and mutter "I guess it was meant to be..."

Better than Dung Beetles I guess. There's probably a tree dedicated to a scat singer somewhere.

This guy has a tree?

It would have been more fitting if Yoko Ono were destroyed by Beetles.

^I wonder if the new presence of a single female beetle led to this

Asian lady beetles can be quite annoying, to say the least.

All things must pass, even a George memorial tree.

mndsm wrote: Asian lady beetles can be quite annoying, to say the least.

Those have been debarking our oldest evergreens and killing them.....but they can't do anything to the newer yellow pines.