# What is the purpose for the fake trees all aroung Los Angeles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 23, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742 "2011-08-23T03:04:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![btrani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@btrani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btrani)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742/1 "2011-08-23T03:04:28Z")

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Hi. Has anyone else noticed these fake trees all around the city?? A friend thinks maybe they house some sort of hidden camera or satellite antenna thing. But if that is the case, why conceal it in a very well done fake tree?? The government doesn’t have to hide their devices. I took a picture and in it you can actually see how the branches are screwed on to the fake trunk. I touched the tree and it is very lifelike, except it is made of metal. Here is the pic. [http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l542/btrani01/SDC12136.jpg](http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l542/btrani01/SDC12136.jpg)

Thanks for any info.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742/2 "2011-08-23T03:07:14Z")

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[Cell phone towers](http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/04/03/gallery-cell-phone-towers-pretending-to-be-trees/).

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**Author:** ![btrani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@btrani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btrani)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742/3 "2011-08-23T03:11:35Z")

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Thanks Johnny!!!

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742/4 "2011-08-23T03:22:26Z")

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They don’t _have_ to hide it, but it’s prettier if they do.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742/5 "2011-08-23T03:27:17Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> They don’t _have_ to hide it, but it’s prettier if they do.

Like the Pig Murals. 😛

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-for-the-fake-trees-all-aroung-los-angeles/593742/6 "2011-08-23T03:48:54Z")

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They’re better than regular towers, but I would prefer Ericsson’s “[Tower Tubes](http://justamp.blogspot.com/2007/09/ericsson-unveils-innovative-green-base.html).”