Jan 17, 2020 07:00:00

The number of thieves who cut out and bring a part of houseplants is increasing, why is it?

by

leonardoiheme

Many of the foliage plants that entertain people's eyes are very expensive, and plants are often speculative, such as the tulip bubble that originated in the Netherlands in the 17th century. In recent years, The Guardian reports that the number of people who 'cut out and bring back some houseplants growing in plant specialty stores and greenhouses' has increased.

A growing concern: is it ever OK to steal plant cuttings? | Life and style | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jan/15/plants-is-it-ok-to-steal-cuttings

In December 2019, Cory Jarrell, a houseplant retailer in Portland, Oregon, USA, showed her desired greenhouse to attendees. After the participants left the greenhouse, Jarrell discovered that some of the plants grown in the greenhouse had been cut off.

Jarrell noticed that there were plant thieves among the visitors to the greenhouse and questioned the alleged culprit, but found some of the plants cut out of the woman's bag. 'In her bag there was a pile of cropped plants,' said Jarrell. Jarrell reportedly dropped into the greenhouse after calling the police.

The following image posted by Jarrell on Instagram shows some of the plants that the criminal tried to steal. Jarrell points out that all the cut plants were among the most valuable varieties in the exhibit, and the culprit knew which plants were valuable.

View this post on Instagram

Dear Community, Recently at an event hosted at our greenhouses, an individual vandalized and committed theft with several of our plants.They were caught, but sadly many of the plants taken will likely not survive the damage done to them.We are thankful for the Washington County Sheriff's Office for their prompt response and arrest of the individual with the recorded evidence we were able to provide.We are pressing charges.Our greenhouses exist because of the love and support of our community.We nurture and grow living plants that bring joy to people.We will provide the security necessary and hold accountable anyone who seeks to harm the plants in our care.Thank you to the outpouring of support we've received already, and thank you for the space given as we process and move forward to keep Potted Elephant thriving.????????Potted Elephant

Posts shared by POTTED ELEPHANT (@pottedelephant)- December 10, 2019 8:49 a.m.PST

The criminal eventually pleaded guilty, but the total amount of damage, such as those of plants that had already been cut off, was estimated at $ 2,000 (about 220,000 yen). The criminal was ordered to undergo one year of probation and compensation for Jarrell, who was able to receive compensation. However, all damaged plants are precious and difficult to buy again.

The criminal was cut out some of the rare plants, cuttings and cultivation carried out, it was to or sold by mail order site or to watch at home. Not all plants can be increased by cuttings, but succulents, cacti, and some tropical plants can be increased relatively easily by cuttings.

Houseplants have been popular with many people for a long time, but in recent years, it seems that status symbolization on Instagram is progressing like luxury brand bags and brand sneakers. For this reason, plants of the genus Monstera were once available for purchase at a horticultural center for about $ 30 (about 3300 yen), but in recent years the state ahead of the stem used for cuttings is $ 200 (about 22,000 yen), potted plants The state is traded at a price of $ 600 (about 66,000 yen). Against the backdrop of the rising prices of houseplants, the number of people who sell rare plants with cuttings is increasing.

by

Alexander Mils

Gardening, gardening enthusiasts, and collectors have long been involved in increasing plant populations through cuttings. However, in recent years, forums for cutting people have appeared on bulletin boards on the Internet, and it has become easier than ever to learn how to grow plants with cuttings.

Sarina Daniels, founder of Reddit's cuttings forum, recalls that the initial forum was only a few people. However, as the posting of houseplants became popular on Twitter and Instagram, the number of participants increased sharply. Mr. Daniels has set ethical standards for forum participants `` Do not steal plants '', but sometimes posts using cuttings from plants collected from nearby gardens and restaurants are also said to be done .

In addition, some 'participants of the forum' also have a 'grey zone of ethical standards'. For example, many of the group's participants recognize that 'leaves that have fallen naturally from potted plants in Walmart's houseplant corner' as cuttings are 'safe.' However, some owners of specialized houseplant stores recognize that even if the leaves fall naturally, they will go out if they fall from the sale.

by Alan Cabello

In recent years, theft of houseplants has also been occurring in places other than Jarrell's shop, and valuable plant species have been stolen not only in plant shops but also in botanical gardens such as London Chelsea Herb Garden . Jess Snowball, a greenhouse manager for Chelsea Herb Gardens, pointed out that theft of plant species is a common problem in botanical gardens around the world, and said that stolen invaluable plants was very painful.

Also, even if you only cut out a part of the plant, the price of the plant sold in the store will drop significantly, and plants that do not meet the sales standards can no longer be sold in the store. In addition, it takes a long time for the plants to grow back to their original state, so the effect of cutting a little bit with the intention of cutting it is said to be significant.

Meanwhile, many plant shop owners and botanical garden managers point out that most houseplant enthusiasts have not been involved in theft. 'The 99% of the community is good,' commented Jarrell, who was stolen.