This Shimpaku juniper was stolen recently from New England Bonsai.
Bonsai theft
There’s a long list of businesses and individuals who have had prize bonsai stolen. The other day it was New England Bonsai Gardens in Bellingham Mass. Fortunately, they have photos of all four of their missing trees and a local TV station featured them on a news program. Unfortunately, the chances of survival of stolen bonsai is low. Unless they are recovered soon, odds are whoever ends up with them won’t be able to keep them healthy. Years ago a friend (and customer of New England Bonsai) had some prize bonsai stolen from his back yard. The good news was the police found the bonsai during a drug bust. The bad news was, they found them dead in a closet.
Stolen bonsai registries
Strangely, we were just discussing stolen bonsai in the comments of a post the other day (turns out the lead tree in the post, a prize Buttonwood by Ed Trout, was stolen). This led to checking out stolen bonsai registries on the web. I don’t know how much good they do, but I do appreciate the effort. Here a few that came up in a quick search. Facebook, Stolen Bonsai, the National Bonsai Foundation, and American Bonsai Society. If you know of others, please let us know.
This rare and wonderful old California juniper was one of the trees taken from New England Bonsai.
The thieves (thief?), also got this redwood.
This Ezo spruce forest also went walking.
Hi Wayne,
Here is another stolen bonsai registry which you can find on the BonsaiCafé website http://www.bonsaicafe.be : http://www.bonsaicafe.be/forum/page.php?p=gestolenbonsairegister
Kind regards from Belgium,
Hans Vleugels
Thanks Hans,
Looks like a pretty thorough registry. I hope some of the tree were recovered.
Watch for these on ebay……
:(
The same microchip technology that is used on dogs and cats and other pets could be used on our trees. Its a tiny chip the size of a grain of rice that could be inserted into a part of the tree that you wouldn’t even notice. You would register this with one of 3 different companies that do this in the US. All animal hospitals, pounds and most law enforcement agencies carry a small scanner that will I.D the tree. The scanner can be bought fairly inexpensively and kept by the tree’s owner or he local bonsai club/ nursery.
This won’t stop anyone from stealing a tree, but it would definetly prove its your tree if it turns up acroos the country or even years later when the tree has been repotted or otherwise changed making it difficult to prove that it is yours. Also, any suspiciouse tree that suddenly appears on craigslist or ebay very cheaply could be checked first.
You can never realy stop theft if someone wants your trees bad enough, but we can make it as hard as possible for the thiefs so they are more likely to pass over your yard in search of easier pickins.
Wayne,
I’m a loyal patron of NE Bonsai, they have great trees at great prices. It’s a shame people do this kind of thing. The NBS and ABS sites links did not open up to photos of stolen bonsai. I hope the trees are found before they suffer the worst of consequences.
Re Stolen Bonsai
We are having a spate of Bonsai stolen here in Australia. Thefts in Brisbane and Sydney. Not all the owners have photographs of their Bonsai. On my website I have a page (HOT PROPERTY) – which details some recently stolen Bonsai. Please feel free to direct any Australian Bonsai lovers to contact me and I will keep this page updated as thefts are reported. http://www.bonsainorthsidenursery.com.au
Perhaps you might like to link to this site also.
It is very sad,
Regards
Tess Simpson
Bonsai Northside
Paj,
Perhaps eBay. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time.
Thanks Elliott,
Not a bad idea, especially for your most valuable trees. Do either eBay or Craigslist have systems in place to check trees and other items?
Hi Owen,
I too have long relationship with NE Bonsai. It’s a great company.
Yeah, some the stolen bonsai sites don’t seem to be up to date.
Thanks Tess,
It’s good to see someone is keeping track down there where bonsai is so popular (I know this because we get so many orders and email correspondences from Aus).
Nice website too.
Wayne, Unfortunatly sites like craigslist and ebay cant check the origin of everything for sale as millions of different items and services are offered thru these sites. Its a buyer beware world. I also think people who buy trees that they suspect or know have been stolen should be prosecuted as well. There are a few people in serving time in prison for stealing trees, but I wish the law allowed for extra punishment for emotional distress. Unfortunatly, like dogs and other pets, Bonsai are considered property and you cant get punative damages because that was your first tree ar you are very emotionaly attached to it because you have been working on it for 20 years.
I’ll be posting photos of Bonsai plants stolen from me on Jan 26, 2013.