In the name of John Lennon, leaf meets belief

Tie a white wish tag around a crape myrtle and what do you get? A celebration of John Lennon’s life.

Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree” art installation in Pasadena’s One Colorado Courtyard has collected more than 40,000 wishes since 21 trees were placed in the outdoor shopping district Aug. 2. Visitors are invited to scribble their hearts’ desires on a tag and climb a small white staircase to place it on a branch.

The wishes from the Pasadena exhibit, which runs through Nov. 9, will join those of others from around the world, including Washington, D.C.; Rio de Janeiro; and Venice, Italy. The tags will be placed in capsules and installed around Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower on Videy Island, near Reykjavik, Iceland.

The tower is a 10-meter column of light, projected for two months each year from Oct. 9, John Lennon’s birthday, to Dec. 8, the date of his death.

-- Liesl Bradner