WASHINGTON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A tree brought by French President Emmanuel Macron for his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump mysteriously disappeared over the weekend, according to local reports on Sunday.

One week ago, Washington media flocked to the South Lawn of the White House to snap photos and shout questions as the two heads of state ceremoniously shoveled dirt onto the oak sapling.

But the tree was gone from the lawn by the end of the week and news photographers took a shot of the pale patch of grass left in its place.

The oak came from Belleau Wood in northeast France, where about 2,000 American soldiers died in a World War I battle.

The disappearance of Macron's gift has become an internet sensation with mounting speculation about the tree's fate.

The White House hasn't offered an explanation. An unnamed official from the Elysee Palace said the tree is under quarantine.