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 [ NEIGHBORHOOD ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=327)

#  The Orchid Trees of LAWA/LAX Are Again Savagely Attacked

Written by Matthew Hetz.

 ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2025/031i.jpg)

April 17 2025

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FRUSTRATED - I do not know how things work within the government of the City of Los Angeles and its departments, particularly LAWA/LAX. I do know their actions create frustrations and lower the quality of life in the city.

[CityWatch](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/29350-who-mangled-part-of-las-urban-forest-los-angeles-bureau-of-street-services-or-lax-lawa) published my article on the very severe, ugly pruning of orchid trees along Westchester Parkway while the trees were in bloom. This was about a year \[ago\].

Recently, within the past two weeks, I drove down Westchester Parkway and the orchid trees were in glorious bloom. The sight was beautiful. The harshness of this street which bisects LAX parking lots was softened, and almost humane. Parking lots, of which there are far too many in Los Angeles, are eye sores and heat creating blandness.

The flowering orchid trees gave me a glimmer of hope that a city department, LAWA/LAX, had considered the necessary beauties of the trees under their care, understood the worth of flowering trees, and decided to assist the rest of us by keeping the flowering orchid trees in our vision to behold beauty.

Today [CityWatch](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/30708-lax-orchid-trees-are-in-gorgeous-bloom-thank-you) published my follow-up article praising LAWA/LAX for letting the orchid trees remain in bloom. I submitted the article a few days ago.

**I withdraw my praise.**

Today I again drove along Westchester Parkway and most of the flowering orchid trees had just suffered another severe pruning. A few trees were left in bloom in the areas around the LAX parking lots. Maybe they ran out of time and will get their hatchet job soon. The orchid trees just east of Sepulveda Boulevard, in front of the Bank of America are magnificent in bloom.

Why were the orchid trees in bloom again hacked? LAWA/LAX certainly knew the situation because an official contacted me twice on the matter, and I had two phone calls with an airport representative-who was very professional. She did not order the pruning.

To have this brutal pruning happen again, now, with the trees in bloom seems to illustrate that this city department, LAWA/LAX, is callous to the needs to those next to the airport; out of touch with the impression they give to the city; arrogant that they can just do what they want; uncaring on improving the savageness of the barren landscape around LAX; does not know what those within the department are doing; cares nothing about its landscaping; and indicative that Los Angeles City, its government and departments are not functioning in any kind of service orientated policies to city residents and its neighbors.

It is disgraceful. Ugliness from LAWA/LAX defeats nature’s beauties.

*(Matthew Hetz is a Los Angeles native, a composer whose works have been performed nationally, and some can be found [here](https://www.matthewhetz.com/)[.](https://www.matthewhetz.com/) He is the past President of the Culver City Symphony Orchestra and Marina del Rey Symphony. His dedication to transit issues is to help improve the transit riding experience for all, and to convince drivers to ride buses and trains to fight air pollution and global warming. He is an instructor at Emeritus/Santa Monica College and a regular contributor to CityWatchLA.)*

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