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California

The trees that make Southern California shady and green are dying. Fast.

The polyphagous shot hole borer beetle on a sycamore tree in Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

The polyphagous shot hole borer beetle on a sycamore tree in Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Among the hardest hit native species of urban trees are California sycamores, typically found along streams and commonly used as shade and street trees in places such as Griffith Park and along downtown’s Wilshire Boulevard.

Dying urban trees

A crew from the West Coast Arborists cut down another tree on the grounds of Craig Regional Park in Fullerton that is infested with the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dying urban trees

A pedestrian walks past the mounds of dirt where trees once stood in Craig Regional Park in Fullerton April 7, 2017. The dying trees are infested with the invasive beetle, the polyphagous shot hole borer and are literally being eaten and weakened one tunnel at a time.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Looking at a cross section of a tree that was destroyed by the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle th

Looking at a cross section of a tree that was destroyed by the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle that was eaten and weakened one tunnel at a time.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dying urban trees

Ranulfo Peralta with West Coast Arborists cuts-down another infested tree in Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dying urban trees

The larvae of a pacific flat headed borer wiggles and moves around in the caverns of an infested tree in Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dying urban trees

Dr. John Kabashima with the University Of California Agriculture and Natural Resources inspects an infested tree on the grounds of Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dying urban trees

Dr. Akif Eakalen, plant pathologist at UC Riverside inspects the cross-section of a tree in Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Dying urban trees

Dr. Akif Eakalen, plant pathologist at UC Riverside, Dr. John Kabashima and research assistant....look at an infested tree in Craig Regional Park prior to the tree being cut down.

  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

California

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