The Huntington Botanical Garden has a problem with plant theft. It’s a global problem.

The Huntington Botanical Garden in San Marino has a problem with plant thieves.

Whole succulents were stolen in brazen robberies. Smaller plant parts were stolen for propagation.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said John Trager, curator of the Desert Collections at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. “We are interested in preserving the plants and habitats so they can continue to be studied.”

Recently, an Echeveria succulent was stolen from the Desert Garden, a popular hangout for thieves in the Huntington.

“It’s a problem,” said Nicole Cavender, director of the Botanical Garden. “We’ve seen it far too often than we should, but we want to draw attention to this illegal trade, which is truly a criminal act.”

A global black market

Cavender said this problem is not only present within Huntington’s Hospital, but that there is a worldwide network through which succulents, cacti, orchids, cycads, magnolias and other plants are traded on the black market.

Illegal harvesting of wild plants is a serious problem worldwide and the dollar value of the illegal trade is difficult to quantify, Cavender said.

“Sometimes these plants are collected by the hundreds, literally leading to the extinction of populations,” she said.

How you can help

That’s why Cavender and Trager urge plant lovers to make sure their plants come from legal sources when purchasing them – especially plants sold online.

Following a series of thefts at the Desert Garden in 2021, staff installed a permanent sign reading “This plant has been stolen” and directing visitors to more information about the illegal plant trade.

Trager also helps authorities identify plant contraband at ports and airports, including an Opuntia cactus species endemic to Santa Margarita Island off Mexico’s Pacific coast that was seized at LAX in 2018.

Now Trager is growing the cactus along with several other confiscated plants in the Huntington to sell to the public.

Huntington University recently joined a global working group The focus is on promoting responsible practices in the nursery industry.

“If these plants are being taken, it is an indication that there is demand,” Trager said.

“We can’t stop the demand, but we can provide a sustainable source.”