--- title: Tree That Apparently Inspired Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Falls description: The tree that is thought to have inspired Dr. Seuss to write The Lorax has fallen and we're going to need some more Truffula seeds, stat! canonical: https://time.com/5608303/tree-that-inspired-the-lorax-falls/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-06-17T16:57:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:59:13.821Z og:title: Tree That Apparently Inspired Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Falls og:description: "A tree falls the way it leans" og:url: https://time.com/5608303/tree-that-inspired-the-lorax-falls/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9d42e2e16f2736be/698768b4e53aba25a44d5e95/danny-devito-07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2348 og:image:height: 1321 og:image:alt: MCDDRSE EC032 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Tree That Apparently Inspired Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Falls twitter:description: "A tree falls the way it leans" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9d42e2e16f2736be/698768b4e53aba25a44d5e95/danny-devito-07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'A Tree Falls the Way It Leans.' Tree That Appeared to Inspire Dr. Seuss' _The Lorax_ Falls > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Jun 17, 2019 4:57 PM UTC  DeVito's top-grossing film? The Lorax (2012), which grossed nearly $350 at the global box office. DeVito's top-grossing film? The Lorax (2012), which grossed nearly $350 at the global box office. Universal  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Jun 17, 2019 4:57 PM UTC The [tree](https://time.com/4754395/arbor-day-history/) that is thought to have inspired [Dr. Seuss](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,899723,00.html) to write [_The Lorax_](http://ideas.time.com/2011/11/24/the-lorax-redux/) has fallen and we’re going to need some more Truffula seeds, stat! The tree, a Monterey Cypress at Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla, California, stood throughout the 43 years that Seuss lived in a mountaintop home overlooking the park. It was estimated to be about 80 to 100 years old, Tim Graham, a spokesman for the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, told [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/16/us/lorax-tree-falls-trnd/index.html). City officials are [reportedly](https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Iconic-Lorax-Tree-topples-over-in-California-511341971.html) looking into planting a replacement tree in the area. > [](https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1140408767349252098) “Though much of the scenery in La Jolla is reminiscent of Seussian-style illustration, the trees in _The Lorax_ are particularly notable,” the [La Jolla city website](https://www.lajolla.com/article/dr-seuss-la-jolla/) notes. “They belong to the fictional Truffula species in the book, but the real-life inspiration is called the Monterey Cypress and unique to the California coast.” Seuss published _The Lorax_, a children’s book about the importance of being environmentally conscious, in 1971\. 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