Learn About Bonsai Tree Selection!

Trees and Shrubs

The following alphabetical list of plants includes trees and shrubs suitable for traditional bonsai. This is not intended to be a complete list.

Specialty nurseries often have a wide selection of dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties of many of these species. Dwarf plants, however, do not always convey the same impression as their full size counterparts because the growth habit is quite different.

Apricot: Prunus species

Arborvitae: American, Thuja occidentalis; Oriental, Thuja orientalis

Azalea: Hiryu, Rhododendron obtusum; Indica azalea, Rhododendron indicum Kurume; Rhododendron hybrids

Beech: American, Fagus grandifolia; European, Fagus sylvatica

Birch: White, Betula alba

Boxwood: Buxus species

Burningbush: Euonymus nana

Cedar: Atlas, Cedrus atlantica; Deodara, Cedrus deodara

Cherry: Prunus species

Cotoneaster: Cotoneaster species

Crabapple: Malus species

Cryptomeria: Cryptomeria japonica and cultivars

Cypress: Bald, Taxodium distichum; Dwarf hinoki, Chamaecyparis obtusa var. compacta

Elm: American, Ulmus americana; Chinese, Ulmus parvifolia; Siberian, Ulmus pumila

Fir: Abies species

Firethorn: Pyracantha species

Ginkgo: Ginkgo biloba

Goldenrain: Koelreuteria paniculata

Gum: Sweet, Liquidambar styraciflua

Hawthorn: English, Crataegus oxycantha; Washington, Crataegus phaenopyrum

Heather: Calluna vulgaris

Hemlock: Canadian, Tsuga canadensis and cultivars

Hornbeam: American, Carpinus caroliniana; Japanese, Carpinus japonica

Ivy: Hedera helix and cultivars

Jasmine: Winter, Jasminum nudiflorum

Juniper: Juniperus species and cultivars

Locust: Black, Robinia pseudoacacia

Maple: Amur, Acer ginnala; Hedge, Acer campestre; Trident, Acer buergerianum

Oak: English, Quercus robur; Pin, Quercus palustris; Scarlet, Quercus coccinea; White, Quercus alba

Peach: Prunus species

Pine: Bristlecone, Pinus aristata; Japanese white, Pinus parviflora; Japanese black, Pinus thunbergi; Mugo, Pinus mughus; Swiss stone, Pinus cembra; White, Pinus strobus

Plum: Prunus species

Pomegranate: Dwarf, Punica granatum nana

Quince: Japanese, Chaenomeles japonica

Snowbell: Japanese, Styrax japonica

Spruce: Picea species and cultivars

Willow: Weeping, Salix blanda

Wisteria: Japanese, Wisteria floribunda

Yew: Taxus species and cultivars

Zelkova: Graybark elm, Zelkova serrata

House Plants

American gardeners have taken bonsai concepts and have applied them to houseplants. By combining traditional procedures for handling houseplants with bonsai concepts of design, growers have created different bonsai styles. The following alphabetical list consists of woody plants (native to the tropics and subtropics of the world) that have been grown as indoor bonsai. These plants can be obtained from either local or specialized nurseries.

Acacia: Acacia Baileyana

Aralia: Polyscias balfouriana, Polyscias fruticosa, Polyscias guilfoylei

Bird's Eye Bush: Ochna multiflora

Camellia: Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua

Cape-Jasmine: Gardenia jasminoides radicans, Gardenia jasminoides

Citrus: Citrus species (calamondin, kumquat, lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine)

Cherry: Surinam, Eugenia uniflora

Cypress: Arizona, Cupressus arizonica; Monterey, Cupressus macrocarpa

Fig: Mistletoe, Ficus diversifolia

Herb: Elfin, Cuphea hyssopifolia

Hibiscus: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Cooperi

Holly: Miniature, Malpighia coccigera

Jacaranda: Jacaranda acutifolia

Jade: Crassula species

Jasmine: Jasminum parkeri; Orange, Murraea exotica; Star, Trachelospermum jasminoides

Laurel: Indian, Ficus retusa

Myrtle: Classic, Myrtus communis

Oak: Cork, Quercus suber; Indoor, Nicodemia diversifolia; Silk, Grevillea robusta

Orchid Tree: Bauhinia variegata

Oxera pulchella

Pepper Tree: California, Schinus molle

Pistachio: Chinese, Pistacia chinensis

Plum: Natal, Carissa grandiflora

Poinciana: Royal, Delonix regia

Pomegranate: Dwarf, Punica granatum nana

Powderpuff Tree: Calliandra surinamensis

Serissa foetida

Shower Tree: Cassia eremophila

You can also obtain books that supply information about growing plants indoors from your local library.

Obtaining Plants

There are many ways to obtain bonsai. At the beginning it is best to work with the more common plants. Most are obtainable at local nurseries. Plants that are native to the area where you live often make fine subjects for bonsai. But make sure these plants meet the bonsai requirements of size, leaf, trunk, and scale (Figure 11).

Some old favorites grown as bonsai because of their classical good looks are Sargent juniper (Juniperus chinensis Sargentii); Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii); wisteria (Wisteria floribunda, Wisteria sinensis); flowering cherries (Prunus subhirtella, Prunus yedoensis); and gray bark elm (Zelkova serrata).

Among the plants recommended for the beginner are:

• Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea or Pyracantha fortuneana), which is an evergreen with small leaves;

• Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri), which has characteristics similar to those of firethorn;

• Dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum nana), which is deciduous, and has tiny green leaves; and

• Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum or Juniperus virginiana), which is a hardy evergreen with heavy foliage that takes well to pruning.

In addition to nursery stock, plants for bonsai can be collected from the wild or propagated from plants in your garden. (See discussion of propagation)

Growers can now purchase mature bonsai created in this country; these plants have recently become available at selected nurseries. Mature bonsai plants also can be imported from Japan, but only deciduous varieties ship well.

Collecting Plants from the Wild

The job of finding plants in the wild that adapt well to bonsai is difficult for the beginner. Traveling in wild terrain where such specimens are found can be hazardous. Also, at least a year must pass before a plant collected this way can be containerized, and much care is necessary to insure survival during this period. Wild plants, however, often look older than they actually are and make handsome specimens.

The best time for collecting plants in the wild is during March and April, when new growth or leaves have not yet begun to sprout. Here, the collector must recognize when the wild plant is in its dormant period.

On a collecting trip the following items will be helpful: a small collapsible shovel; polyethylene sheeting and string for wrapping rootballs; sphagnum moss for packing around the rootball; a container of water for wetting leaves and rootball; and a small crowbar forgetting roots out of rocks.

Remember the following points when taking plants from the wild:

1. Get permission to dig from the owner of the property.

2. Do not randomly dig wild plants. Make sure that the plant you are removing is not on your State conservation list. Remember that nothing can be removed from national parks and similarly conserved areas.

3. When digging the plant you want, try not to injure the taproots. Get as much soil around the roots as possible. Older trees will require greater care and a slower training schedule.

4. After you cover the roots and soil with wet sphagnum, wrap the rootball in polyethylene film. Wet the branches with water frequently.

5. At home, unwrap the rootball carefully. (It is not necessary to unwrap the rootball if it is wrapped in burlap.) Plant the tree in loose garden soil in a location that is protected from the sun and wind.

6. Water, and examine the roots of the new plant for several months. Feed the plant sparingly.

7. After at least 1 year, the plant can be dug up and placed in a container. (Large trees may have to go into a succession of smaller containers before they are ready.) Trim the roots around the base carefully so the plant will fit into its container.

8. If shaping is necessary when potting a collected tree, prune the branches lightly.

9. Two years after the plant has been collected from the wild, start it on a regular training program.

Importing Mature Plants

If you are going to import bonsai trees from Japan, it is best to do so during their dormant period. Such plants are subject to severe fumigation before they are allowed to enter this country and thus are likely to be harmed by fumigation.

To find out which trees can be imported, check with the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hyattsville, MD 20782.

Bonsai plants are now available that have been trained in the United States. These plants have the advantage of being acclimated to various areas of the country.

Nursery Plants

The easiest and best method for the beginner to obtain bonsai is to buy nursery stock and develop his own. These plants come in 1- and 5-gallon cans and their root systems have become adapted to cramped conditions.

Buy only young, healthy plants when purchasing nursery stock. When searching for potential bonsai among nursery stock, do the following:

• Look for plants that are well rooted and well branched. The plant must be able to withstand severe initial pruning.

• Inspect the overall plant and then push back the foliage and examine the base from all sides. See if the foliage is full enough to be shaped into an interesting bonsai. Check to see if branches are where you will need them.

• Do not purchase a plant that cannot be easily transplanted to a pot.

Do not thin the root system excessively all at once when placing the plant in a smaller container. By thinning the roots gradually and reducing the root system, safely and over a period of years, you will not damage the plant. If you prune and shape first and neglect thinning the roots, some plants may die.