Today, there is barely a stump where the fig stood for 144 years at the southern point of El Pueblo’s plaza. The tree was cut up with chain saws and hauled away with a crane.

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 … ...

Replacing the tropical fig tree that fell in El Pueblo de Los Angeles plaza with a coast live oak would be a powerful statement about sustainable landscapes.