More than 20 mature bonsais taken from Mawson Lakes

A large number of mature bonsai plants worth thousands of dollars have been nabbed from a home in Adelaide’s north.

A large number of mature bonsai trees worth thousands of dollars have been stolen during a Mawson Lakes break-in, sparking an appeal for public information.

A Lakefield Crescent home was entered between midnight Saturday, February 5, and midnight the following day and 20 plants were stolen.

Some of the mature plants were more than 40 years old, and the total value of them has been priced at $20,000.

File photo of a bonsai plant.

A blue-leaved bonsai maple tree bonsai.

The victim reported a further three large bonsais stolen on Tuesday, February 15.

Vice president of the SA Bonsai Society, who only provided his first name, Luke, said the situation was dreadful, and seemed targeted.

Luke said bonsai thefts were“about as common as someone having their expensive bicycle stolen”.

“If you had a brand new expensive bicycle, would you leave it out in the front yard?” Luke said.

“It’s just a fact of our society, this is not exclusive to bonsai, if you have something nice, other people will see it and want to take it.”

He said members of SA’s tight-knit bonsai community would recognise the stolen plants if the thief attempted to sell them.

“People are connected through bonsai so its difficult to understand why such a thing would be stolen,” Luke said.

“They (the thief) might not even realise their value, and not their monetary value … their sentimental value.

“These are trees that have been cared for by their owner for some years and have value to them, greater than just a dollar value.”

Adrian Bonifacio, who runs DIY bonsai workshops at his Hahndorf store Grass Roots Vintage, said he hadn’t heard of a bonsai theft this large in Adelaide and that the theif was likely someone who had an interest in bonsai.

“It’s pretty unlikely they’d resell,” Mr Bonifacio said.

“You would only take them if you wanted them for yourself or you had a buyer.”

Mr Bonifacio, who is also known as Dr Bonsai, said the Adelaide bonsai community was close-knit and the trees would likely be recognised if they were to be resold.

Dr Bonsai aka Adrian Bonifacio with a 30 year old Bonsai tree at Grass Roots Vintage in Hahndorf. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Mr Bonifacio said it was common for individual trees to be worth thousands of dollars each.

It follows the opportunistic theft of a bonsai plant at Woodville West in September 2019.

Thieves lassoed and pulled the plant through a hole in a backyard fence.

The owners had been carefully nurturing and shaping the plant for more than 10 years.

Anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area or has footage that could assist the investigation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.