“Gently Weeping the Loss of a Beatle, George Harrison’s Tree”

Marking the spot where the once 12 ft beautiful pine grew, is a plaque that reads, ‘The George Harrison Tree, In Memory of a Great Humanitarian Who Touched The World as an Artist, Musician and a Gardener’. 

George Harrison who passed away in Los Angeles after a battle with lung cancer in 2001, was honored in 2004 with the planting of an Honor tree. In Griffith Park at a spot close to the Griffith Observatory, a pine tree was planted in his honor. The beautiful pine had grown to 12 feet tall, but like many other trees in the area, an infestation of Bark Beetles sadly killed the majestic tree. Los Angeles officials feel that the severe drought has played a role in these losses. There are plans to re-plant a new tree this fall, sometime in November.

Interestingly this year marks the 50 year anniversary of ‘The Beatles’ concert debut in the United States! Although The Beatles are 50 years old in the United States, the Bark Beetle has been around slightly longer! These beetles are proving to be a real problem in many areas in the Unites States due to the fact that once a tree is infested, the beetles are almost impossible to eradicate with chemicals, leaving the only option for containment removal of the trees that have become their home! Weakened trees that are not properly cared for or watered are at increased risk. Many governmental agencies are involved in containing and stopping these pests from taking over our forests and community trees.

It is great that the city of Los Angeles has plans to re-plant a new tree to grow along side the plaque and continue to offer fans a place to honor an important Beatle; George Harrison, who was active in many humanitarian issues throughout the world.