About 200 years ago, a palm tree was planted in downtown ... A slightly oxidized plaque at the tree’s base calls it “a mute witness” to the megalopolis that Los Angeles became.

A tree trimmer died after being getting trapped underneath palm fronds from the 50-foot tree he was working on in Phoenix over the weekend, according to authorities.

The marker recognizes what is believed to be the oldest palm tree in the city ... citizens and visitors from elsewhere, and was a mute witness to the growth of Los Angeles from a community ...