LA's palm trees are disappearing and they likely won't be replaced

If there’s one thing that defines the sunny paradise of Southern California, it’s palm trees swinging in the breeze.

But this wont be the case for long. According to the LA Times, palm trees in Los Angeles are dying off.

The cause? A tag-team effort from a destructive beetle known as the South American palm weevil and a fungus called Fusarium

The worrying thing is, officials don’t know exactly how many trees have been lost.

But when they’re gone, that’s it. Authorities have no plans to replace them.

Los Angeles is facing increasing heatwaves as the years go by. Palm trees aren’t the most practical choice for these conditions.

They’ll be swapped out for trees that provide more shade and use less water.

According to the LA Times, the palms won’t disappear completely. The city has chosen six iconic areas where it will continue to maintain the trees.

Palms have a long history in LA, believed to have first been brought by 18th century franciscan missionaries.

But times might be changing. David Dink, policy director of non-profit Climate Resolve said, to The Guardian: “We’re now in a period where we have a better understanding of what’s needed.”