Feature image inspired by the former Hula Hoop Tree near Amber, Iowa.
Tossin’ Another Neat Iowa Story Your Way!
Remembering Amber, Iowa’s Colorful Roadside Curiosity
By Deliverance Hope
Word ’Round Town
“For several years, one particular tree near Amber, Iowa, carried something far more colorful than leaves.
It carried hula hoops.
Dozens upon dozens of them.
Pink ones.
Blue ones.
Striped ones.
Little ones.
Big ones.
Some hung neatly from the branches. Others became tangled together in great circles of color, making the old tree look as though it had dressed itself for an especially lively Iowa celebration.
The tree stood along County Home Road near Amber, an unincorporated community in Jones County. It became known simply, and appropriately~ as the Hula Hoop Tree.
How It Began
Like many good roadside legends, the exact beginning is wrapped in a little mystery.
In 2015, after a storm passed through the area, at least one hula hoop was found lodged in the branches of the lifeless tree. Some accounts say there were two. No one seemed to know for certain whether the wind had carried the hoops there or whether someone had quietly placed them in the tree.
Either way, people noticed.
Then someone added another hoop.
And another.
Before long, motorists and local visitors began bringing hoops of their own and testing their aim by tossing them toward the branches. Every successful throw added another ring of color to the growing roadside landmark.
The tree was no longer simply an old tree.
It had become a destination.
Feature image inspired by the former Hula Hoop Tree near Amber, Iowa.
A Tree People Could Not Pass By
The unusual attraction quickly developed a following.
Some people stopped only long enough to take a photograph. Others brought hoops and attempted to add one to the branches. Families visited together, and travelers sought out the tree as part of their Iowa road trips.
One local woman reportedly left painted rocks featuring images of the Hula Hoop Tree near its base for fortunate visitors to discover and take home.
There was no admission booth.
No gift shop.
No carefully designed attraction sign.
Just an old tree, a collection of plastic hoops, and the wonderfully human tendency to join in whenever something makes us smile.
It became the kind of place that prompted drivers to say:
“Wait~ did you see that?”
Then turn around for another look.
Over time, hundreds of colorful hoops decorated the tree, transforming it into one of Iowa’s most unusual roadside attractions.
When Popularity Became a Problem
Unfortunately, the attention that made the tree special also created safety concerns.
The Hula Hoop Tree stood on private property beside a county road where there was no designated place for visitors to park. People often stopped along the roadside to admire the tree, take photographs, or try to add another hoop to its branches.
Because the tree was already dead, concerns also grew about unstable or falling branches potentially injuring visitors or damaging passing vehicles.
After, landowner Jon Zirkelbach removed the tree because of those safety concerns.
Its removal disappointed many who had grown fond of the unusual landmark, but it also brought an end to the roadside risks associated with the increasingly popular attraction.
Gone~ but Still Going ’Round
The tree itself is gone now.
The hoops no longer sway from its branches.
Travelers can no longer pull over, take aim, and hope their brightly colored circle lands high enough to become part of the display.
Yet photographs of the tree continue to appear online, often followed by comments from people who remember passing it, visiting it, or bringing a hoop of their own. The tree’s Facebook page also remained active after the landmark itself was gone.
The Hula Hoop Tree was never officially planned.
It was not built by a tourism committee or designed to become famous.
It simply happened.
One circle led to another.
One visitor inspired the next.
And an otherwise forgotten tree became one of Iowa’s most unusual roadside memories.
Perhaps that is why people still remember it so fondly.
Some landmarks are made of stone.
Some are marked with plaques.
And some are made from an old tree, a little mystery, and hundreds of hula hoops tossed toward the sky.
The Hula Hoop Tree may no longer stand near Amber~
but its story is still going ’round and ’round.
Ya know….
Perhaps some of those hoops carried a little hope~ or a wish tossed and hung ~ to echo on….
I wonder…”
The feature image accompanying this article is an illustrative recreation inspired by the former Hula Hoop Tree near Amber, Iowa, and was created for feature purposes.
Keep Goin’ ‘Round Town
There’s always another story waiting just around the corner.