FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Some low-life scumbag raided a Bay Area grower's greenhouse and made off with a bunch of Nepenthes. Here is the post on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaXnsguurY2/

Text from the post:

!!! ATTENTION PLANT ROBBERY !!!

I discovered today that someone broke into my greenhouse and stole a number of plants from my personal collection. I've been growing these plants for many years and they hold a lot of sentimental value to me. Please share this post and let me know if you have any information regarding these plants. A reward will be given if you have any information that leads to the recovery of these plants.

This is very disappointing as I've had a lot of trust in the Bay Area, California carnivorous plant community. This was clearly an intentional and planned robbery by someone who has visited the greenhouse and my home in the past.

If you have these plants, please return these plants and no legal action will be pursued and no questions will be asked.

List of plants missing:

• Nepenthes veitchii BE-3734
• Nepenthes veitchii bario x candy
• Nepenthes veitchii (m)
• Nepenthes veitchii (k)
• Nepenthes edwardsiana large (sg)
• Nepenthes edwardsiana (AW Clone 2)
• Nepenthes edwardsiana (AW SG)
• Nepenthes lowii x edwardsiana
• Nepenthes hamata x edwardsiana

** Update** two more veitchii have come up missing. This person clearly had a clear agenda on what they wanted to take. No Heliamphora or non-Nepenthes were taken. Only large veitchii and eddy+eddy hybrids were taken. Looking for suspect in the Bay Area, California who has visited the greenhouse previously.

That's terrible. I take it that the plants were valuable?

I’ve seen posts about this and someone said that they were worth thousands. rare veitchii and eddy hybrids. Whoever took them knew what exactly what they were gonna take when they did it.

Where in the bay area? I know hayward is pretty rough for gardeners, a ton of plant thefts.

I'm sure the thief could always keep them for a few years, then sell them. For all we know, the thief wanted them for his/her private collection.

I just read on IG that the neighbors security cams may have seen the pos who did this

TrapsAndDews wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 11:06 pm That's terrible. I take it that the plants were valuable?

You could say that.

N. edwardsiana, seedling form typically about the size of your pinky nail, typically goes for about $500. N. edwardsiana x hamata seedlings typically go for around $300. Specimens of that size would go for thousands, easy. I've seen specimen veitchii go for a few thousand as well. All in, probably minimum $20-30k value. If it was larger in size, better specimens, even more.

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:33 am I'm sure the thief could always keep them for a few years, then sell them.

I'm reminded of a number of years back when the founder of Red Leaf Exotics (before it existed) visited a nepenthes grower's greenhouse. A few days later the greenhouse was broken into and a number of specimens were missing. The grower was monitoring ebay and saw the founder of Red Leaf posting for sale what he believed were the plants that were stolen. The grower contacted the police, and they said there wasn't anything they could do, as the the grower couldn't prove the plants were his. If I remember correctly, the listing on ebay was removed, and no hard "conclusions" were ever reached (including proving who took the plants).

The grower, and a few others in the community, immediately stopped allowing visitations (understandably so). So other amazing specimens became unavailable for others to enjoy.

A sad shame for everyone involved.

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:33 amFor all we know, the thief wanted them for his/her private collection.

Eddy is notorious for being a finicky nepenthes to grow. Typically classified as an ultra highlander (along with eddy x hamatta). It's interesting that it was growing in the same greenhouse as other notorious lowland loving nepenthes (veitchii, although there is considerable variation within the species). Point is, these two typically don't grow "side by side" in the same conditions. Either the greenhouse was special, the plants were special, or the grower was special. Only one of those is replicable to the thief, if they want to keep it for themselves (as a greenhouse of that caliber would cost more than the plants).

I fear a scenario where the thief wants to keep them for themselves, but is unable to keep them growing. The end result is dead plants chucked into a dumpster somewhere. An end result where no one wins.

But, given the price tag on them, most likely taken to be sold again.

Unsubscribing from that Red leaf exotic guy's youtube channel.

I also thought about that RedLeaf scenario when I read this. It's disgusting people that people have it in them to do that and I do hope they're found. They probably will not be caught as "proving" is difficult and people aren't generally thinking of how to mark their stuff. It's just a shame because as it was said, it locks out other people who genuinely want to see specimen plants. I hope if nothing else, they find out and it blocks the scumbag from doing anything in the community going forward.

specialkayme wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:55 pm

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:33 am I'm sure the thief could always keep them for a few years, then sell them.

I'm reminded of a number of years back when the founder of Red Leaf Exotics (before it existed) visited a nepenthes grower's greenhouse. A few days later the greenhouse was broken into and a number of specimens were missing. The grower was monitoring ebay and saw the founder of Red Leaf posting for sale what he believed were the plants that were stolen. The grower contacted the police, and they said there wasn't anything they could do, as the the grower couldn't prove the plants were his. If I remember correctly, the listing on ebay was removed, and no hard "conclusions" were ever reached (including proving who took the plants).

The grower, and a few others in the community, immediately stopped allowing visitations (understandably so). So other amazing specimens became unavailable for others to enjoy.

A sad shame for everyone involved.

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:33 amFor all we know, the thief wanted them for his/her private collection.

Eddy is notorious for being a finicky nepenthes to grow. Typically classified as an ultra highlander (along with eddy x hamatta). It's interesting that it was growing in the same greenhouse as other notorious lowland loving nepenthes (veitchii, although there is considerable variation within the species). Point is, these two typically don't grow "side by side" in the same conditions. Either the greenhouse was special, the plants were special, or the grower was special. Only one of those is replicable to the thief, if they want to keep it for themselves (as a greenhouse of that caliber would cost more than the plants).

I fear a scenario where the thief wants to keep them for themselves, but is unable to keep them growing. The end result is dead plants chucked into a dumpster somewhere. An end result where no one wins.

But, given the price tag on them, most likely taken to be sold again.

Redleaf just made a new video about a new Geoff Wong Veitchii he had wanted for years and just got

This is so sad, on a much smaller level most of the gardeners I know have amazing things tucked away in their backyards and boring grass in the front. People will walk up and rip plants out of the ground. How do some people sleep at night…

Uh oh. But surely he would do this kinda thing discreetly?