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The Truffula trees featured in The Lorax might have sprung from Dr. Seuss's creativity, but many believe they were modeled after a real tree in La Jolla, California. Nearly five decades after the environmental tale was released, Smithsonian reveals that the famed Monterey cypress has toppled.
The tree, which stood for 80 to 100 years in what is now Ellen Browning Scripps Park in Southern California, was easily visible from the lookout tower where Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, resided in La Jolla after World War II.
Although the beloved children's author and illustrator never confirmed the tree as his inspiration, locals began calling it "The Lorax Tree." Its similarity to Seuss's Truffula trees is striking: both feature slender, twisting trunks and dense, whimsical tufts of foliage crowning their tops.
In The Lorax, the Truffula trees face destruction at the hands of the Once-ler, who aims to harvest them for producing garments known as Thneeds. The titular character advocates for the trees, embodying the story's environmentalist theme.
Unlike the fictional Truffula, La Jolla's Monterey cypress seemed safe until its recent fall. Arborists remain uncertain about the cause, as the tree showed no significant health problems aside from minor termite activity. The unusually wet winter and its impact on the soil are being investigated as potential factors.
The majority of the tree has been cleared from the site, and the city intends to replace it with a new tree. Efforts are also underway to repurpose the fallen trunk, though these plans are yet to be finalized.
