Someone tricked the internet into believing a random tree in Toronto was a tourist attraction

The internet sometimes transforms into a melting pot of synergy. Viral social media trends are only one way to see it. In Toronto, Canada, there stands an unconventional landmark that has been receiving golden reviews from visitors. It’s neither the CN Tower nor the Casa Loma, but a random tree dubbed, "Rodney The Tree." As hysterical as it may seem, people are actually tuning in and paying homage to the tree. Visitors have claimed to fly in from across the globe to witness Rodney in real. A Reddit user (u/waitingforthesun92) highlighted the absurd tourist attraction in the bustling Canadian city and the dramatic reviews that have flooded the listing. 

“Someone marked a random tree in Toronto as a tourist attraction - and the reviews are genuinely taking me out,” the post’s caption stated. Sharing a snapshot of the Google Maps listing and a few of the reviews, Rodney The Tree flaunted a stellar 4.9 rating with about 182 raves from visitors. Someone claimed to have visited the tree from Waterloo. “It is truly one of the highlights of Toronto. It is perfectly placed and is visible at any time of the day. There is also wonderfully placed bench so that you can have a comfortable and quality time observing Rodney the Tree,” a part of the review stated. Another reviewer marked Rodney as a “symbol of strength, resilience, and pure natural beauty.”

A family shared that they swapped a trip to Disney to see Rodney and turned into a “life-changing experience.” This review recommends a reservation before visiting. Likewise, another dramatic account of the landmark read, “If you’re in Toronto and haven’t seen Rodney the Tree, are you even living? It’s a tree that just stands there—breathtaking. The bark? Captivating. The leaves? Don’t even get me started—pure magic when the wind blows.” A reviewer claimed to travel all the way from New Zealand “just to see Rodney the Tree,” while another said she traveled from Singapore.

Many others warned the visitors of an impostor tree nearby posing to be Rodney. It is unknown as to who really started the bizarre trend of penning these glorious reviews but people have taken the hint. The Reddit post marking the instance quickly became a point of conversation on the other side of the internet. Several people shared similar experiences in other parts of the world. “Oh, here we go. Have you heard of the Bude tunnel in the UK? It’s just a tunnel to keep you dry while you walk to the supermarket. But the Reviews…,” wrote one internet user (u/Verbenaplant) while another (u/Joshouken) pointed out, “the NatWest hole in Ilkeston.”

Replying to the comment, a person (u/JHRChrist) revealed, “Omg it’s rated #1 on TripAdvisor for sights to see in Ilkeston, absolutely stunning.” Noting the impostor reviews, a fellow Reddit user (u/Moakmeister) wrote, “The best one is the fourth image. Warning of an impostor nearby. Genius.” Someone else (u/bravehamster) had some advice for the poor tree. “Rodney needs to branch out more if he wants to have mainstream appeal,” the hilarious comment read. u/UncleHec was pretty upset about Rodney not getting a full 5 stars. “I’d like to know who didn’t give Rodney 5 stars,” they wrote.