OAKLAND — More than 50 rose bushes at the famed Morcom Rose Garden were found uprooted Oct. 16, with some either stolen or left behind in damaged condition, those familiar with what happened said.
The bushes are valued in the thousands of dollars.
A volunteer at the decades-old park, in the 700 block of Jean Street in the Grand Lake district, discovered what happened. The shrubs were apparently pulled up by the roots.
The park has some video surveillance, but it was not immediately confirmed if they captured what happened. A motive for the thefts is under investigation.
As of Thursday, none of the plants had been recovered and detailed descriptions of any possible suspects had not been released.
The loss of the bushes has angered and saddened city officials and others, including numerous volunteers who spend time at the park helping staff take care of the thousands of rose bushes of many different varieties.
Nancy Friedman, a volunteer gardener, wrote in the Splashpad News: “Volunteers and city staff are very discouraged because of the many years of hard work put into collecting, grafting, establishing, and labeling the plants that were destroyed that night, leaving empty holes in the ground.”
On its website, Friends of the Morcom Rose Garden said: “Volunteers and City Staff are heartbroken and discouraged as months of hard work was destroyed in one evening. We need your HELP. If you observe anyone stealing or vandalizing our garden, please call the Oakland Police Department.”
The garden is in the district of City Councilmember Zac Unger, who described it as representing the “promise and peril” of a society where certain places are free for anyone to visit. “It’s open to all — rich and poor, old and young,” Unger said. “We’re not going to lock this place down in response. It’s a jewel of Oakland, and it’s terrible that people would take advantage of that access.”
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Unger praised the group’s volunteers, who “pour their heart and soul into this place. They do such a wonderful job taking care of the garden,” he said. “I feel terrible it’s been ripped out by the root, literally.”
The amphitheater-style, nearly eight-acre garden was officially opened in 1934 and named in honor of Fred Morcom, who was mayor of Oakland at the time of the opening, in 1954.
It has been the site of many events and activities over the years, including the annual honoring of women selected as Oakland Mother of the Year.
Anyone with information about the thefts may call police at 510-238-3728.
Staff writer Shomik Mukherjee contributed to this report.
