It has been reported that that the iconic cypress tree which inspired Dr. Seuss’s conservational tale The Lorax has fallen.

This influential tree was nearly a hundred years old before it toppled over due to unknown causes last week. But it’s hardly the end of this proud tree’s story.

Dr.Seuss’s muse for The Lorax, a Monterey cypress tree in San Diego, has fallen over after standing for almost a century.

The significant set of leaves was located in La Jolla’s coastline neighbourhood in Southern California. This is where Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel) moved after World War II, living in an observation tower overlooking the seaside strip. His view of Scripps Park, where a rare Monterey cypress was situated, leaves people compelled that this was the direct inspiration for the truffula trees. The Smithsonian added, “Ask anyone in town where the Lorax tree is, and they’ll point you here.”

Written in 1971, The Lorax is a tale of conservation that stands the test of time. A call to action to fight the corporate entities threatening our environment, Dr. Seuss once explained “In The Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might.”

Tim Graham, spokesperson of San Diego City, stated he was still investigating as to why the tree fell over and how he’s “looking to salvage it somehow… but the arborist said that overall the tree was in good shape.”

Fear not! The city is planning to repurpose the trunk and replant another tree in the area. Regardless, we’re happy knowing the original truffula will always be remembered through The Lorax’s legacy.