I have been a bit worried about this myself for when I plant next year at a location away from home. I will have large plants from pots, including ornamentals (mainly crepe myrtles) that will be easily recognized and have a fairly high value at that size (25 gal). I am planning on "whitewashing" them while dormant with a shocking bright yellow color (latex paint 50:50 diluted with water). It will eventually wear off, but will make the plants all too easily seen if taken, thus hopefully preventing the attempt. I am thinking of getting cheap scrapped rusty fence and laying it down around the trees but under mulch, to make it impossible to get a shovel inserted without pulling up ten of feet of buried fence. It will eventually rust away.

Mastiffs... No one steals plants from my yard with six 180lb dogs guarding them..

I'm so sorry for your loss...

Deep pits armed with sharpened sticks, for locations away from home? High voltage? Or at least boards with nails in them to flatten tires of tresspassers? A Bull, with a nasty temperament, in locations you don't live at?

Stealing fruit trees should be a "hanging" offense..

Yes, I'd call the Police. You never know, they just might find a newly planted Cherry Tree in some scumbag's yard..

Can trees be microchipped? Why not? That would be irrefutable proof of ownership.

Lisa

Never thought about this. Luckily we live in a neighborhood with a lot of older folks and i'm usually home during the day. I'd fence in my yard and buy a pitbull if someone stole any of my stuff :) I'd call the police and shouldn't homeowners insurance cover that, although you might have a deductable. Look around your neighborhood for new fruit tree plantings.

Big sago palms are hot ticket items for the crooks. These are sold by hundreds of dollars.

Oh gee....that's a bummer!
Someone stole my Evans Cherry fruit one year, but this is worse! Could have a animal dug it out???.Did you put in bone meal?...if so, I had nearly lost ones a little tree.
Perhaps a hot ticket item in your area and someone just pulled it out? How tall was it?
Did you leave the label on it? Does someone other then you, know of what you planted there?
Come over and I will replace it for free!
Konrad

I spent hours online looking for nurseries with Evans (Bali) in the US which could ship to me (given the late date). AFter much searching and calling I found two which seemed promising, one of which returned my call and email. I have now ordered a replacement for the cherry which was taken and I will be taking precautions when I plant this one.

I'm still debating going through my neighbor's yard waste bags for this last week to see if she had something to do with it...My wife thinks she is the most likely suspect. What do you all think?

~Chills

I would love to have some answers first from my post,...this way we would learn what to do or not do, perhaps it would help others with the same ordeal!
Konrad

"Could have a animal dug it out???.Did you put in bone meal?...if so, I had nearly lost ones a little tree.
Perhaps a hot ticket item in your area and someone just pulled it out? How tall was it?
Did you leave the label on it? Does someone other then you, know of what you planted there?"

Sorry....

I doubt it was an animal. The hole was re-filled and the mulch was neatly arrayed as though raked back carefully.

I don't put bone meal into planting holes. I sometimes add crushed egg shells, but not this time.

As far as I know there is no black-market in this area for Evans cherries, or cherry trees in general.

It was about 18-20 inches tall. It had low branching, about 3-4 inches above the ground when planted, making it look like 2 trees from above. The two branches were interestly shaped as each twisted making it look like a contorted plant. (I wish I had taken pictures, but I was waiting until things leaved out before taking pics)

I planted it 12 or so inches from a fence upon which I had hung the tag. The tag was not removed.

I mentioned the tree to my neighbor's boyfriend who saw me out watering all my new plantings the previous weekend. Other than that I can't think of anyone else with whom I spoke of the tree.

~Chills

I am sorry to hear that.

I would try to find out why people stole it. If the thief is in your neighborhood, apparently he/she will not plant that tree. The only reason he/she stole it is because he/she doesn't like the tree, maybe he/she worried the tree might block his/her view?

I have planted some drawf fuit trees this year, and I got a letter from my HOA. Someone in my neighborhood may not like what I planted.

Good luck,

Kai

It never occurred to me that anyone would go into someone's yard to steal plants, even digging them up! That's appalling. I'm so sorry.

Plants can be expensive. A single peony or iris rhizome can cost $50 a piece. But where the heck would a crook fence plants? Is there a black market for plants?

Chills, sorry to hear about your plant. I would certainly call the police. I would not expect them to do anything about capturing the culprit, but they might pay more attention when on patrol in the future.

Theft of plants is unfortunately not that uncommon in the Washington DC suburbs. There was recently a case in the news where a Japanese Maple was stolen the day after it was planted -- admittedly it was a large and quite valuable tree. Just one more piece of the rich pageantry of sociopathy we city dwellers must live with on a day to day basis.

Thank you chills!

If the neighbour has no fruit trees I would make them a possible suspect!
Konrad

What's special about the Evans cherry?

You might be on the right track about who took it, it would probably someone who doesn't live nearby, but who has a reason to come nearby and noticed it. I'd investigate that boyfriend some if it could be done quietly, since he noticed the tree.