Tree Circus
Axel Erlandson was an American arborsculptor who in 1947 created “The Tree Circus,” a horticultural attraction in central California featuring uniquely-shaped trees.
Axel began as a bean farmer in the 1920s. When he noticed how easy it was to sculpt the hedges on his farm, he wondered if he could do the same with trees. Axel would create his designs first on paper, then prune, bend and graft the trees into shape.
In 1945, Axel’s wife and daughter visited Santa Cruz where they saw lines of people waiting to see oddities such as the leaning buildings at the Mystery Spot. Upon returning home, they mentioned this to Axel and wondered if people would pay to see his trees. Axel jumped on the idea, bought a small piece of land in Scotts Valley along a main tourist road, and transplanted his best trees at their new home. The Tree Circus opened in the spring of 1947.
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