Birane, a 70-year-old plant trader, says he has suffered only one theft in his career
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThe value of this unattended flora quickly adds up. Pierre, a nursery owner, says that each of his plants is worth 10,000francs on average. He has about 300. With perhaps 30 other plant purveyors on the same stretch of road, some $150,000 of shrubbery is left by the green-fingered to the mercy of the light-fingered. That is a fortune in a country where the average income is only about $4.50 a day.
Sometimes there is no one there during the day, either. When your correspondent visited on a public holiday only three of the 30 or so nurseries had anyone present—and one of them was asleep in the undergrowth. Even on normal weekdays many owners simply leave signs with phone numbers for interested buyers to call.
Ignorance may also play a role. Most people do not know the value of vegetation, explains Birane, pointing out a rare variety worth 50,000. The only people who might steal such pricey plants are gardeners he knows and works with, he notes with a chuckle. And since he sells his bigger, more valuable ones in heavy pots they are harder to snaffle. Some flora also defend themselves: cacti can spike the enthusiasm of thieves scrabbling in the dark.
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