The Tree Circus

Axel Erlandson has dedicate almost all his life to a horticultural attraction featuring his uniquely shaped trees. The attraction was eventually named "The Tree Circus".
In 1945, Erlandson's daughter and wife took a trip to the ocean near Santa Cruz, California. There they saw people lined up to pay to see such oddities as tilted buildings at the Mystery Spot. They returned home and mentioned (off hand) that Axel's trees could draw people who would pay to see them if they were on a well-traveled tourist route. Axel jumped on the idea and bought a small parcel of land in Scotts Valley, California on the main road between the Santa Clara Valley and the ocean; and started the process of transplanting the best of his trees to their new home. The Tree Circus opened in the spring of 1947.



Basket Tree




Cube Tree



Two leg tree


Ladder Tree


Spiral tree



Four leg tree


Young trees