Tree thefts uproot homeowners Tree thefts uproot homeowners (April 21, 2004)

Japanese maple trees targeted by thieves

by Don Kazak

Thieves with apparently discerning tastes are targeting Japanese maple trees in north Palo Alto.

Since March 28, there have been 18 such thefts in the area. The thieves mostly target Japanese maple trees, which are carefully, almost lovingly, removed from homeowners' gardens. The trees, which only grow to four or five feet, are known for their great beauty and expense.

"I believe the people who took them are pros," said homeowner Betty Lin. "The way they took them was so precise."

Lin lost two such trees on successive nights a couple of weeks ago. One had leaves that turned apricot in the spring, and then fiery red in the fall.

For Lin, though, the trees were more than just decorative. They were the centerpieces of her garden, where she meditates every day. "My garden is my spiritual sanctuary," she said. "I raised them from little trees. They are exquisitely beautiful."

Another homeowner, Irene Eberhard, also lost a Japanese maple. "I saw this big hole," she said. "I was just stunned."

For now, Lin and Eberhard aren't going to replace the valuable trees -- they can be worth up to $1,000 each. "If I replace it, it will just get nabbed again," Eberhard said. "I'll wait until they catch the guy."

But "catching the guy" will take some luck, and perhaps a insomniac neighbor who happens to notice a stranger sneaking around at night, digging up trees.

"We have to rely on someone seeing something," said police Agent Tami Gage. Officers have to catch the thief in the act, she said, because "trees don't have serial numbers."

There is speculation that the perpetrator is a professional gardener, since the person in question understands the value of the trees and removes them so meticulously.

"It's hard to imagine someone appreciating trees stealing them," Lin said. "Whoever took them knew their beauty."

Ironically, the morning after Lin lost her second tree, a man in a white pickup truck was selling young maple trees on her block. He asked her if she wanted one. "Are you kidding?" Lin replied.

The police have no suspects. Gage said a pickup with trees in the truck bed was stopped. But all were bought at a nursery, and the driver had receipts. "We can't stop every white male in a white pickup," Gage said.

This isn't the first time trees have been stolen in Palo Alto. "When it happens, it happens in a rash," Gage said. She didn't remember 18 being stolen in the same spree before, though.

Eberhard said a neighbor suggested replacing the valuable tree and protecting the new one by sinking a concrete block into the garden and chaining the Japanese maple to it. But she agreed that kind of defeats the purpose of having such a delicate, lovely decorative tree.

Lin is taking a Zen-like approach to the loss of her trees. Assuming her trees are now planted in someone else's garden, Lin said, "I hope the new person will appreciate their beauty, too."

Don Kazak can be e-mailed at dkazak@paweekly.com

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