Grand Theft Shrubbery

Thieves are targeting rare cycads such as this rather uncommon cycad, ceratozamia miqueliana, a Mexican native growing in Florida.

A homeowner in a suburb of Los Angeles woke up just as thieves took off in the middle of the night with two of his plants worth $3,500, and this is not an odd or isolated incident. They were after certain rare cycads, palm-like plants that sometimes fetch $20,000 on the international black market. These plants have been targeted in a wave of thefts in California and Florida, and botanical gardens and nurseries are no longer talking about what they have because they're afraid of being hit. Almost everyone involved with growing cycads has been targeted and has a story of theft. Some have added very expensive security measures or locked their plants in greenhouses, while several have even given up on growing the plants altogether. There are over 300 species of cycads, which are related to pine trees, and most are threatened with extinction. They are generally tropical or subtropical, with some of the rarest found in southern Africa, Australia and South America. International treaties restrict their import, and several are so priceless they couldn't be displayed if stolen. It's become the equivalent of having a Picasso sitting unprotected on the lawn.