This instance was cited as demonstrating that the "humor of Peanuts lies in the extremity of bad luck the characters" face.
[7] In a 1977 series, Charlie Brown bit the tree, after which he received a legal notification from the Environmental Protection Agency.
[8][9][10] In yet another series in January 1969, Lucy becomes so enraged at Schroeder continually ignoring her that she seizes his piano and throws it up into the tree, which proceeds to devour it.
[11] In later comics and animation the tree appeared with a visible mouth, at times grinning or reacting to Charlie Brown's tirades.
The Kite-Eating Tree has played a part in adaptations of the comic strip, including the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1967)[12] and The Peanuts Movie (2015).