A thief with a green thumb has been looking for a five finger discount in the central Auckland suburb of Hillsborough.
St Margaret's Church in Hillsborough, Auckland, has been targeted by plant thieves twice recently. Photo: Google Maps
Some plant owners in the suburb are now on edge and one resident, Brooke Hunter, has decided to move some of hers out of sight.
"We've got a couple roses and an outdoor orchid that was like my grandfather's that we've decided to move to the back of our property," Hunter said.
"Just in case anyone decides they want to have a walk down and see what we've got. At least they're not going to be there for them to grab."
A nearby flower bed at St Margaret's Church has been targeted by thieves twice recently.
Reverend Fraser McDermott said the culprits drove up after dusk and ripped the plants clean out.
The bed was named after, and planted in the memory of a deceased church member who was a wonderful gardener, he said.
It had left members of the congregation feeling violated and upset, with plans now underway to install security cameras.
"Ridiculously just to make sure either people are caught stealing plants or they're deterred from stealing plants, 'cause it's happened twice now," he said.
"We just think well these plants cost us money and we need to look after what has been given to us."
In a statement, inspector Glenn Baldwin said anecdotally police were aware of 29 plant thefts throughout west Auckland over the past six months.
Baldwin said while Hillsborough did not stand out as an area of concern, police would continue to monitor the area as part of routine policing.