GRESHAM, Ore. -- Burglars broke into a Gresham nursery and stole more than 20 bonsai trees last weekend.

Managers at Seven Dees Nursery said it’s common for stolen trees and shrubbery to wind up on Craigslist and eBay. But the recent burglary has hit more than their bottom line. The nursery says the thieves took a piece of history.

One of the stolen trees is 40 years old and was cared for by the man who started Seven Dees Nursery.

The managers said he took care of it from day one and it wasn’t for sale because it meant so much to the family.

“He worked on it for 25 years,” said Lynn Snovgrass, the Garden Center president. “He passed away a couple of years ago. For me, that’s a very important historical family tradition that walked out the door…”

Nursery managers suspect the thieves used a car or truck to haul the plants away.

The burglars also dropped a large pot in the process of the theft.

The nursery is located at 165th and Stark Street. Anyone with information is asked to call Gresham police.