Have you ever had plants stolen?

[LJG]

OK, so in another thread I posted about my plants get stolen out of the yard. May were hidden under canopy getting acclimated. Like my K. magnifica and large Carpoxylon macrospermums. I live in a gated community in a back road. So someone that knows my plants took them. They dug some cycads too. But I never plants anything of great value out front as I had a funny feeling this could happen. But I guess I never should have left potted plants ether.

Anyway, I figured I would take a poll and see if I am unlucky or if others have suffered. One of my friend's uses motion lighting and security laser lights to secure his yard. He is not a 'nutty, paranoid ol' man' anymore. Now I get it.

Gary - your Teddy Bear was one they stole too. I need to find you some more.  

[PALM MOD]

Nothing makes me madder. I wrote an article about this several years ago in the PSSC Journal, and was subsequently interviewed for an article by the LA Times. Turns out this happens more than you would care to know. It is very under reported. Did you report it? And some police don't take it seriously. However, during a rash of high profile cycad snatchings the police became more vigilant. Main problem becomes providing a positive ID.

Len,

If you want to post a description or any other useful info, I will pin it so as to get the word out. Wouldn't it be great to have "PalmTalk To Catch a Predator?"

[LJG]

Thanks Dean. If some one is offered a large 15 gallon Kentiopsis magnifica, then it was my plant sicne no one has these here.

I did not report it because I did not think it would matter.

[Shon]

Len was it one of your new magnifica's?A freind of mine dad's place got ripped off all the time right out of the ground.H e lived on La Costa ave right across from Andersens nursery. So much so he gave up having palms and cycads out there,what a shame. Sorry for your loss I hate theifs.

[Shon]

Sorry Len just saw your other thread.

[Tad]

worse yet I have had palm society people steal from me, several palms went missing after the meeting we had back in march. 2 jubaeas, and some small cycads, we lose stuff out of the fields from time  to time, one fellow I caught up with had consumed a substantial amount of beer, he fell asleep in the gettaway truck in the intersection by my house, I left him with four flat tires sliced to shreds and took the sagos home, he never woke up till the sheriffs tow truck came and got him, another fellow accosted me at a store trying to sell me my own sagos, we went for a ride so he could show me where thousands more were for sale cheap!!! I dropped him off to the deputy.

personal material from my yard would be a little tough to get away with, the psst meeting was the first and last time I will have a mass of people that large come over. one by one or a group of 3 or 4 not too much problem but there were way too many to watch.

when I groused about the missing palms and cycads after the meeting my dad reminded me of all the stuff I have filched from Mexico over the years..so I guess karma catches up with me from time to tie.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

It burns me up by the way people steal plants.  From employee theft to palm collector theft to landscapers stealing off other jobsites.  There are several ways to protect your self from theft but, as the saying goes, locks only keep honest people honest.  A determined thief will not be  thwarted.

There are certain flowering plants that, when I install them I keep the flowers trimmed off to keep from attracting attention until the plant is more established.  I have used rebar through the root ball to pin it in place.  I have chained cycads down.  I plan on using chain link fencing laid flat and covered with mulch to protect some rare species.

Jerry

[gsn]

(IPSPTModerator @ Sep. 20 2007,22:37)

QUOTE

Wouldn't it be great to have "PalmTalk To Catch a Predator?"

Len,

Sorry for your loss, nothing I hate worse than a thief!

I would like to think the police would take this very seriously,as the price of some palms and cyads would make this grand theft,not just petty theft!!

Dean,

This is a non starter, as I am sure

"Due to potential liability issues" the forum could not accept the responsibility for such a sub forum!! :laugh:

[northcountyguy]

This happened to me years ago. I bought my first house in Berkeley,CA . Tiny little house, tiny little yard in a marginal neighborhood and some neighborhood druggie comes along and pulls out my two newly planted howeas to carry off to the local flea market to sell. I replaced them with larger Howeas latter. I was really tempted to discreetly wrap razor wire around the replacement palms that way next time I could follow the trail of blood to the perpetrator!!! Ha, ha!!!

[chris.oz]

After having sagos taken,  I now secure them with wire.

[Al in Kona]

To date, nothings been stolen from here.  Of course most of my plants get planted directly into the ground quite early so there's few big container plants around.  Never heard any of the neighbors having had a problem with theft either.

[cfkingfish]

Len, were those the same Carpoxylons you got from me?

In a way, I would feel bad for the thief. In Florida, that would be grand larceny, a felony, for which deadly force can be used. I knew there was a reason I bought the 100 round drum for my AK-47.  

Knock on wood, no one has stolen from me.....yet.

[madagascarbob]

Theres a family around south orange county that makes a living selling firewood and stealing palms ,cycads , it's the first place you look around here if something goes missing .

[palmmermaid]

Len,

Sorry to hear about the loss.  Hopefully someone catches the b******s!

I've never had anything stolen but live pretty far off the beaten path.  You live in a gated community?  I've always asked what the purpose of a gated community is - to keep people in or people out?  Must have been someone you know which only makes it worse.

The depravity of people is a constant source of disgust.

[EuroPalm]

6 years ago I had six 5 feet jubaeas stolen in my garden. (dug out the soil).

I am sure the man who stole them did not know they were Jubaeas but thought they were phoenix canariensis.

Now, I am waiting. Maybe after 10 years I will see some jubaeas towering up fences in the neighbourhood of my house...

This day wil be my day..... :laugh:

Phil

[fastfeat]

Len--

Bummer to hear that. As others have questioned here, what the hell good is a gated community then? Any video tapes available from the gate?

Madagascarbob--

You wouldn't be referring to place at Trabuco Creek Rd at Rancho Viejo Rd by any chance?

[corkycory]

My uncle had some kings that were stolen out of his front yard... pretty stupid cuz kings go for a dime a dozen and some one put effort into it. I mean it makes no difference wiether the palm is exotic or generic, in the end its stealing, but risk stealing a palm that is virtually free nowa days. what a shame.

sry bout your loss man, its unfortunate we have those kind of people nowa days

[palmazon]

Good ideas, all - a word of warning, however: any info you post may be read by someone from the dark side - this includes theft-proofing devices, strategies, locations of rare/valuable plants, etc. Before posting pictures or crowing about wonderful new acquisitions, think it over carefully. Earlier this year, I was interviewed by the LA Times regarding cycad theft; the interviewer kept inquiring about the Hollywood Angle - the idea celebrities will pay top dollar for a plant regardless of its origin. I couldn't answer to that, but I came to the realization someone reading the article might be inspired to steal plants upon learning the prices rare specimens can fetch. One Palm Society member hosted a meeting back in '03, after which (over the course of the next few weeks) someone returned with a shovel and helped themselves to some plants in the parkway surrounding his house. So chances are it's someone associated with the Palm Society. Another theory is some kingpin is directing the enterprise per contract - who knows? Most likely, there's more than one bad apple. I like Dean's idea of listing the stolen property and offering a reward, but I imagine the creep will either keep it or unload it on a non-palm person.

[Exotic Life]

Hi,

Not stolen also from here yet, but i have got damage because people.... Maybe in the next years i will get more damage of stolen because everything will grow bigger. So there are some stolen things from the garden but not plants so far.

Some time ago, on the newspaper says there was someone that stole plants from other gardens in my livingplace... Every night there was someother where he stole the plants, later he do this also by daylight.... Good luck for me, they have arrested him after a few weeks, because the see them when he was buzzy stole another plants...

I know some other exotic friends from the netherlands the have got stolen plants and big one's! Like Jubea's Butia's etc ...

Robbin

[TikiRick]

And I know exactly who it was...my neighbor. Stole two healthy growing palms right from the ground while I was on vacation.  He reached over the fence and yanked out a Veitchia winin and a Siphokentia sp. roots and all. I filed a police report (a felony burglary...anything over $300) but fat chance on proving it.

He hates everything that I plant. He has chopped all of the fronds which hang over the fence line into his "air space."

He collects junk cars. Surprise!

[palmmermaid]

Rick,

Sounds like you have the neighbors from hell.  Some folks just don't have enough to do to stay out of other people's business.

I only have a neighbor on one side and he recently planted coconuts all across the front of his yard.  But we don't have any rules where I live so no one can complain about anything.  There is one guy who lives a short distance away that has a bad attitude.  He even yells at the kids waiting on the school bus!  Any time I ride my horse on the swale, I keep hoping my horse decides he needs to relieve himself there!  I guess that is mean but the guy is just obnoxious.  He doesn't work and I guess has nothing better to do except yell at kids standing on the swale in front of his house.  Guess he would rather have them stand in the street.

[Neofolis]

I don't think this kind of thing happens as often in the UK, although if a thief came to my house, they would probably feel sorry for me and leave something here for me.

[DoomsDave]

Len!

Yike, so sad to hear.

I'm with palmazon.

Be careful.

The fact that Len had his plants taken from a gated community suggests someone with insider status, or maybe even a neighbor.

Or, a criminally negligent guard.

Or, no guard at all.  There are gated communities and "gated communities."  The latter really aren't that well gated.

The best guard is a rabid Rottweiler with run of the place. . . . .

[BigFrond]

Could it be one of the guys who were hired to plant you new bismarkia?  Some guy would have to go out of his way to get you palms in the backyard in the gated community.

[BigFrond]

(TikiRick @ Sep. 21 2007,10:31)

QUOTE

And I know exactly who it was...my neighbor. Stole two healthy growing palms right from the ground while I was on vacation.  He reached over the fence and yanked out a Veitchia winin and a Siphokentia sp. roots and all. I filed a police report (a felony burglary...anything over $300) but fat chance on proving it.

He hates everything that I plant. He has chopped all of the fronds which hang over the fence line into his "air space."

He collects junk cars. Surprise!

Hey Rick, I had the same type of neighbor 4 years ago.  This guy's yard was full of weeds and dirt.  However, he clipped any of my plants that crossed into his property and tossed it back into my yard.  I responded by building a 6 ft wall in the back next to his property and a 4 ft wall in the front to protect my plants a and eyes from the guy.

[northcountyguy]

Since we're all commiserating about our losses I forgot to mention the biggest theft I experienced. When I moved down to Southern CA from Northern CA I bought a vacant lot in a semi-rural area. A week or so after close of escrow the former owner comes in with a crew and a flatbed truck and digs up several large C. gigas as well as some other things. He's witnessed by some neighbors who didn't realize at the time that the property had changed hands. The neighbors accompanied me to court and also armed with three estimates from local growers as to the value of the stuff and notarized documentation that the property was conveyed with all appurtenances, I sued the thief and won a judgement.

Given how so many of us feel about our gardens it really is like the ultimate violation. Go break into my house and steal the TV but leave my plants alone!!

I'm so sorry about your recent loss!

[JakeK]

I'm in agreement with Palmazon on this since it seems the theft was most likely done by someone who knew what they were stealing.

Len, hopefully you or the authorities find who did this. I am sure the local palm enthusiasts on this board in your neck of the woods will be on the look out as well.

[elHoagie]

When I first moved into my new place I was just leaving palms in pots in the front yard waiting to plant them.  One night someone stole a 5 gallon Veitchia and a 5 gallon ginger.  It was frustrating, but I guess it could have been worse.  I haven't left anything in a pot out in the front yard since...

[pogobob]

About 5 years ago, my neighbors caught a pair of thieves on my roof cutting seeds off my Howeas and loading them into their truck. They said they had my permission and knew my name. Well it turns out that these guys had been in my garden at a previous Palm Society tour. About a month before the incident they came by and asked if they could collect seed of Howea and I said no. When I called around to other palm people in the area I got a call from Jerry Anderson. He told me that on the same day I got hit he did also. His wife came home from some errands and found the same guys sawing off sago pups in their front yard in broad daylight! They fled when they saw her. I called the cops and the officer who came over to my house to take the report acted like it was much a do bout nothin. I told him who they were and where they live and operate and he said he'd get the word out. Well I went to the place and looked around, no one was there. I found my seeds and a lot more on a large table and pushed it over into the creek and watched them disapear downstream. To make a long story short, I pressed charges of grand theft. This Meth head and his posse are well known thieves with many prior legal issues. These are the same guys who have the Firewood and palm nursery.  

[LJG]

I knew others would have stories like this. I knew some would be far worse. Like I told Bill when he was here, I could care less about most as I never planted anything of great value out front. What makes me mad is I left plants in pots hidden under a tree in the front. And they had to include my 2 K. magnificas I just got. The one saving grace is they ran out of room in their get away car. They left me one K. magnifica! If Bill had not came over, I doubt I would have noticed untill ALL in front was gone. I agree with others, it was some workers that came when I planted the Bizzie. I called them and got the guy who runs the crew. "Blah-blah-blah- my guys would never do that". My other guess is a guy a few neighbors use to plant. The stuff he palnted was removed. Not stuff he did not. Odd? I called the guys wife and she said "Blah-blah-blah- my husband would never do that".

Looks like only cheap cycads in front and large trees that can't be dug from now on. Everything else in the back. Thanks everyone for the kind words too. Misery loves company.

[LJG]

(cfkingfish @ Sep. 21 2007,04:36)

QUOTE

Len, were those the same Carpoxylons you got from me?

Yep. Those were it. Huge plants for this area too.  

[Scott]

I've been lucky I guess. But then most of my palms aren't super exotic or super big. I'm sure sorry for those who have. The feeling that someone had done something like this must be a real terrible thing to deal with.

[fiji jim]

Prevention and protection is the only way.

We had many plants being stolen. Small seedlings, bags of groundcover plants and some palms pulled from the ground about three foot tall.

This was a regular occurrence for a few years and most of the properties in our valley had some of our stock planted in their gardens.

This used to happen at night so we decided to erect a 8ft high wire fence with barb on top around the whole six acres. Expensive but worth it and once it became disguised with plants we were secure without the feeling of being caged- in.

Before that I was so pissed about it that I inserted razorblades into the stems of young palms and found that that detered the thieves. I found some half pulled red stemed pritchardias one morning.

Pitty that plants do not have serial numbers as then the police could do something otherwise it is hard to prove.

Theives are liars also.

Fences and razorblades do work.

Jim

[Walter John]

Pitty that plants do not have serial numbers as then the police could do something otherwise

This is being done in our city botanical gardens especially to the bromeliades. They can be tracked by satellite.

[LJG]

(Wal @ Sep. 21 2007,15:00)

QUOTE

Pitty that plants do not have serial numbers as then the police could do something otherwise

This is being done in our city botanical gardens especially to the bromeliades. They can be tracked by satellite.

I never thought of that. I would pay to put a few of these in plants if police would go to where the GPS signal says. Soon there will be 'do it yourself' gps chips. I can track all kind of data on my Garmin training watch, to include GPS. How cool would it be to have a few of those in plants then track where they go.

[fastfeat]

(pogobob @ Sep. 21 2007,14:34)

QUOTE

... I pressed charges of grand theft. This Meth head and his posse are well known thieves with many prior legal issues. These are the same guys who have the Firewood and palm nursery.   

I thought we were talking about the same people...

Back when I lived in Laguna Hills, doing the same sorts of illegal substances, even then, these guys had a bad rep amongst us "honest, hard-working" tweakers....

Last I was out west, their big pile of firewood wasn't protected by any sort of sprinkler system. Too bad I can't toss a lit cigarette 3000 miles...

[Tad]

sounds like the manson family of palms!!!

there is a similar clan in Houston, they are the seedy underbelly of the used pot business.

they like to sell and then occasionally get caught stealing them back!!

[Jim in Los Altos]

So many of these responses are shocking to me. I feel so fortunate now and I guess I've taken for granted 'til now the relative quietness of my neighborhood and nearby surrounding ones. Over the years I've left many of my job sites with hundreds of potted plants in their to be planted positions over night and sometimes a couple of days and have never had a single plant stolen. I'm talking palms, cycads, and lots of other plants too. There was, a few years ago, a case of home owner's large ceramic pots being lifted but that's the only landscaspe related theft that I know of. Hopefully my good fortune doesn't run out.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

A few years back I bought a house in Bonsall, and had to fence it once I got the Avocado trees producing again (to prevent theft).

I told the crew not to pick any Hass (they were 6 mos from being ripe), but they could pick all the Bacon avocados that they wanted. They were there for 3 days, and when I got home on evening of the third day,

they were gone....along with all the Hass avocados on 4 trees that were 6' or lower (over 100 avos)

I immediatly called the office, explained that they had been there that morning, but were gone now, along with the fencing crew.."my crew would never do that" was the expected response and he didn't dissappoint.

 Two days later, I was up in the grove, and piled right outside my now locked gate, was a pile of unripe Hass avocados. Someone got their arse reamed by da boss, it seemed.

At my current property, I caught a picker taking a 80lb bag of avos to his car...this same crew stole my 50' chain, and I told the foreman no one was getting paid til my chain was returned...he brought it to me the next day.

[palmazon]

Some fools stole a pair of sprouted coconuts from my polytunnel back in '04 - an inside job, as they tried to shake me down later for reward money. There were a dozen or so miscreants who were miffed when I fenced off the vacant lot where they used to hang out & get loaded. Idiots, I told them (in Spanish) they'll never grow here. The response was They're already in Mexico. I tried to explain the old saying about carrying coals to Newcastle, however I think something was lost in the translation... Two weeks ago, somebody grabbed one of three trellised Grewias I planted in front of my mechanic's place. I have a secret method to foil the dirtbag next round.