A nursery in Candler has been hit twice in two weeks by a plant thief, according to the owner.
Surveillance cameras at Smokey Park Nursery captured the suspect attempting to steal a potted plant and a Japanese maple tree around midnight on June 28. Owner Derek Engelhardt said the suspect was after his Japanese maple trees, but she got spooked and fled, leaving the loot behind.
“This is a $275 tree, and for us to be only in business two years, that’s a hard hit to take right there,” Engelhardt said.
Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene, and Engelhardt was able to recover the tree.
“The root ball was out of the bucket; it was kind of smashed into pieces,” Engelhardt said. “We’ve repotted it. You can actually see some of the damage just from being root ball exposed so heavily.”
According to lot manager Amber Cabe, it wasn’t this suspect's first visit to the Candler business on Smokey Park Highway. Five Japanese maple trees were stolen on June 23. Totaling upward of $1,500, it’s a tough blow for the small business, she said.
“We work really, really hard here,” Cabe said. “We put our blood, sweat and tears into having a locally owned business, but when we have people coming in and taking things that don’t belong to them – very expensive things – it really feels like a punch in the gut.”
Just last month, 17 miles away another nursery was hit by thieves. Surveillance cameras at B.B. Barns also captured a suspect who has yet to be identified. Several thousand dollars’ worth of plants were stolen there, too – including Japanese maple trees.
Engelhardt believes the culprit is someone in the industry, as they seem to know which plants, shrubs and trees are most valuable. The new business owner said he can’t afford for justice not to be served.
“This is my livelihood. I’ve put everything into this place,” Engelhardt said.
Over the last year and a half, according to Engelhardt, they’ve been targeted by thieves six times. Stolen equipment, tools and plants totaling upward of $15,000. Engelhardt said they’ve already installed additional cameras and lights and plan to build a fence around the 2.5-acre property in the future. He hopes sales from his Independence Day 20% off event will help finance the project.
If you recognize the suspect in the surveillance videos or know anything about the incident, contact the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office at 828-250-6670 or submit a tip via the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office app, which can be downloaded in the Apple or Google Play stores.