[3][2] It has been said that the Encino oak "creates a woodsy atmosphere more resembling a whole forest than just a single tree".

Local residents formed a group called Encino Save the Oaks, and the developer eventually donated the tree to the city.

Some attributed its condition to the Encino Reservoir, built in 1921, for cutting off the natural water flow to the tree.

Arborists and city officials argued over the proper treatment for the ailing tree, with one arborist suggesting the city chisel small holes in the bark to release the toxic sap that was slowly killing the oak.

In 1996, the Times reported on the oak: "His skin is mottled, some of his limbs are held together with pins, and his great, shaggy head hangs from its own weight.

[8][9][10][11] As news of the tree's demise spread, onlookers gathered, some crying and taking branches as mementos.

[12] As souvenir-hunters sought to take pieces of the tree, police officers guarded it until its remains could be removed.

"[14] In the weeks following the tree's death, city officials debated what should be done with the tree's remains, leading the Times to ask, "How many bureaucrats, City Council aides, homeowners, urban planners and arborists does it take to decree the fate of a fallen king, the mighty oak of Ventura Boulevard?