George Harrison commemorative tree killed by beetles in Los Angeles

The musician will be celebrated with another plant in due course, following the insect infestation

A pine tree planted in memory of George Harrison has died after being killed by beetles.

It would seem that the guitarist singer-songwriter couldn’t escape his bandmates even in death. He was once quoted as saying that his biggest break in life was getting into the Beatles; his second biggest was getting out.

The tree was planted in 2004 in Griffith Park, Los Angeles to commemorate the musician’s legacy. Harrison spent the last few years of his life living in LA and was a keen gardener.

The tree was marked with a blue plaque, which read: “In memory of a great humanitarian who touched the world as an artist, a musician and a gardener.”

It also bore a quote from Harrison: “For the forests to be green, each tree must be green.”

Local councilman Tom LaBonge says that a new tree will be planted in due course. Insect infestations often lead to the demise of the park’s horticulture, with bark beetles and ladybug beetles being the worst culprits.

Harrison died on 29 November 2001, aged 58, from lung cancer. His ashes were scattered in the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers near Varanasi, India.