one of the funniest things about los angeles is that even its iconic palm trees are part of a carefully manufactured image.
most of those tall palms you see in hollywood movies aren't native to the area. they were deliberately planted to make la look like a tropical paradise and attract people to the city.
in 1931 alone, los angeles planted over 25,000 palm trees, partly ahead of the 1932 olympics.
and here's the interesting part: the city is now moving away from planting them because they're expensive to maintain and provide very little shade. many are being replaced with more practical trees.
beverly hills, meanwhile, is still preserving and replacing palms along some of its famous streets.
kind of crazy that one of the most recognizable images of california was essentially a marketing strategy that worked so well we forgot it was one.
what does los angeles mean to you?
every topic keeps everyone's take on one page. join to add yours.