In the Arcadia arboretum, money does grow on trees. Well, those running it are spending money it like it does.

Fred Ortega reported this weekend that a county budget found that the Los Angeles
County Arboretum exceeded its operating budget by $1.5 million over the past three years.

Over a three year period, the $1 million annual budget was exceeded about $450,000 each year.

Among the findings was there was nearly $10,000 worth of expenditures that had nothing to do with arboretum purposes.

But the highlight of the story was that the chief executive officer, Mark Wourms — who didn’t return calls for comment — is leaving his position to take another arboretum position in Kentucky.