Bonsai bandits prompt razor wire at botanical gardens
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Don't even think about touching these bonsai. Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios
The Des Moines Botanical Gardens' rotating bonsai collection is kept under lock, surveillance cameras and razor wire when individual plants are not on display — little-known security measures put in place after a historic heist more than 20 years ago.
Why it matters: The plants serve as a living record of centuries-old art, international tradition and local heritage, providing Iowans with a tangible way to connect to global cultural history in their community.
- Bonsai bandits have struck again in other cities recently.
Catch up quick: Bonsai is the art of cultivating miniature trees in containers, with origins going back thousands of years to ancient China.
- Des Moines' collection was donated in 1979 and originated from the private collection of Audrey Hirsch, one of the garden's first board presidents.
Startling stat: Some of the world's oldest bonsai can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Flashback: Three DSM bonsai were stolen in 2004, and investigators believe the thefts may have been carried out by someone scaling a roof and dropping into its courtyard. The plants weren't recovered.
- Another was stolen in 1997 and recovered by two men who said they bought it at a local tavern for $300, according to local newspaper reports at the time.
State of play: Both incidents occurred more than a decade before the attractions' reorganization, when the Gardens were known as the "DSM Botanical Center" and operated by DSM Water Works.
- Many aspects of the facility have been updated and improved in recent years, with more in the works, Botanical Gardens spokesperson Delaney Lynch tells Axios.
The latest: There were bonsai thefts in New Orleans in December and in Minnesota last month.
The intrigue: DSM Botanical Gardens staff recently gave Axios a behind-the-scenes look, including the prison-like cage where its bonsai are generally kept when not displayed.
What they're saying: DSM garden director of horticulture Aaron Harpold tells Axios that the measures are necessary to deter thieves.
- "They're priceless," he said of DSM's 22-bonsai collection.
What's next: The Iowa Bonsai Association will hold its monthly meeting at the gardens on Saturday, starting at 9am, with a brief public discussion about its work.
- About half of the bonsai collection can be seen during the gardens' regular hours.