Trees give us life. These fake ones give us TikTok on our cellphones

A cell tower disguised as a eucalyptus tree is tucked away at the rear of a Santa Ana business park. — Los Angeles Times/TNS

LOS ANGELES: A gentle breeze rustles the eucalyptus tree, its dark green foliage quivering under a cloudy Santa Ana sky. At the base of its sturdy trunk, the leaves of a fallen branch bear the scars of hungry insects.

A stand of eucalyptuses sways across the road. But this tree, surrounded by a spiky metal fence, isn’t like the others.