A tree planted in a Los Angeles in memory of former Beatle George Harrison has died following an infestation of… beetles.
Harrison, who died in November 2001, had the pine tree planted in his honour in LA's Griffith Park in 2004.
In a story regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime gift for headline writers the world over, the Los Angeles Times reported that the tree will be replanted shortly after the original died.
Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge told the Times' 'Pop & Hiss' music blog that the tree had grown to more than 10 feet tall by 2013, but had succumbed to an onslaught of tree beetles.
"Trees in Griffith Park have occasionally been the victims of bark beetles and ladybug beetles, among other tree-unfriendly creatures," the Times reported.
The inscription on a plaque at the base of the tree read: "In memory of a great humanitarian who touched the world as an artist, a musician and a gardener".
A date has not yet been set for the replanting.
The tree had been planted near an observatory in the park. Beatles guitarist Harrison, who was born in Liverpool in 1943, passed away at a friend's house in LA in 2001. He was an avid gardener in his later years.