A Bonsai worth $91K was stolen, here's everything you need to know about the miniature tree of life

A 400-year-old Bonsai worth $91,000 was recently stolen from a garden in Japan. A quick look at these tiny treasures.

1. Seiji Iimura and his wife Fuyumi, two Bonsai enthusiasts in Japan, got robbed of seven prized miniature trees from their garden in Saitama. One of the couple’s stolen trees is a Shimpaku Juniper — one of the most sought-after Bonsai types among collectors which is worth over around $91,000.

2. Stemming from East Asia and often associated with Japan, Bonsai is a delicate art-form based on specialist cultivation techniques. The miniature plants are grown in containers. They require expert care and mimic the shape of fully-sized trees.


3. The word “Bon-sai” is a Japanese term which, literally translated, means “planted in a container”. This art form is derived from an ancient Chinese horticultural practice, part of which was then redeveloped under the influence of Japanese Zen Buddhism.

4. Fertilising regularly during the growth season is crucial for a Bonsai to survive. Normal trees are able to extend their root system looking for nutrients; Bonsai however, are planted in rather small pots and need to be fertilised in order to replenish the soil’s nutritional content.

5. A Bonsai needs to be watered as soon as the soil gets slightly dry. It needs thorough soaking so the entire root system is wetted.

6. The Ficus retusa Linn, which is found at the Crespi Bonsai Museum in Italy, is believed to be the oldest existing bonsai tree in the world.