Bonsai Trees

There are three groups of trees suitable for bonsai.

Conifers

These trees are named after their characteristic fruits, or cones. Most of them are evergreens, which gives them a constancy of form, regardless of season. This is not to say that they do not drop their 'leaves' -usually needles -although these are replaced at once by new growth, which is why these trees are always green.

Conifers lend themselves particularly well to bonsai treatment. Pines above all submit happily to pruning and their branches and trunks can easily be wired to form arching shapes. They can make spectacular specimens within a short space of time -within just a few years.

Conifers are generally hardy and therefore require a minimum of care. For this reason, they are good trees for the beginner to grow. In many cases, all you need do is pinch out the buds and shoots in spring and clear up the dead needles in autumn. They like a sunny position, but take care that the root ball does not dry out. (Most conifers originate from the drier regions of the world and do not need a great deal of water).

The bark of old conifer trees should be regularly scraped, since it often harbors parasites -a common example is overwintering greenfly eggs.

Silver fir ( Abies alba )

Short, spiky evergreen needles, upright cones.

Cedar ( Cedrus spp. )

Short, spiky evergreen needles, dark green.

False cypress ( Chamaecyparis spp. )

Evergreen, habit varies; slow developer.

Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica )

Slow developing evergreen; green foliage turns red-bronze in autumn.

Chinese juniper ( Juniperus chinensis )

Leafy evergreen, sea green in color.

Needle juniper ( Juniperus rigida var. nipponica )

Narrow, sharply pointed evergreen needles; cones blue, green or reddish.

Larch ( Larix spp. )

Deciduous needles, pale green in spring, turning darker in summer and gold in autumn.

Spruce ( Picea spp. )

Erect evergreen needles, pendant cones.

Japanese white pine ( Pinus thunbergii )

Small fine bluish green needles.

Japanese black pine ( Pinus parviflora )

Strong, robust dark greyish-green needles.

Yew ( Taxus baccata )

Blunt evergreen needles, dark green; bright scarlet 'berries' (arils).

Deciduous trees

These will be familiar as the trees of our temperate forests. The leaves fall in autumn at the end of an active season of growth which commences in early or mid-spring, depending on the species.

Almost all deciduous trees can be used for bonsai, but the most suitable are maples, beeches, horn beams and elms, which lend themselves particularly well to leaf and shoot pruning. Most of the species originating in the Far East have, by nature, the added advantage of very small leaves. All deciduous trees color in autumn. This can give a magnificent effect with colors ranging from gold to scarlet -a special bonus which makes up for their nakedness in winter.

Accustomed to our temperate climates, deciduous trees are easy to grow, provided they are watered adequately and kept out of hot sun. Their vigorous growth means that one must continually keep their shoots within bounds, with repeated pinching out to ensure the miniaturization of the leaves. Skilful pruning during dormancy will make precise shaping possible.

Deciduous trees are ideally suited for various multiple group arrangements, in trays or on a large stone slab, a quiet and elegant way of displaying such trees.

Trident maple ( Acer buergeranum )

Green dentate leaves, turning bright orange in autumn.

Japanese maple ( Acer palmatum )

Tiny dentate leaves with 5 or 7 lobes, turning bright red or orange in autumn.

Black birch ( Betula nigra )

Pale green foliage; reddish brown trunk with white base, bark flaking off in sheets.

Hornbeam ( Carpinus laxiflora )

Very luxuriant foliage produced in spring.

Beech ( Fagus crenata )

Crenate leaves, which turn brown in autumn but do not fall until spring.

Maidenhair tree ( Ginkgo biloba )

Two-lobed, fan-shaped leaves, green in summer, turning yellow in autumn.

Nagasaki crab apple ( Malus cerasifera )

Covered in blossom in the spring. Small apples can follow flowers if pollinated. Leaves somewhat large.

Chinese elm ( Ulmus parvifolia )

Tiny glossy leaves, cracked, flaking bark.

Grey bark elm ( Zelkova serrata )

Tiny oval leaves, spreading branches, luxuriant foliage.

Ornamental shrubs

The group of ornamental shrubs includes any shrub which is decorative by dint of its leaves, flowers or fruit. The species may vary considerably, since all they need to have in common is their decorative appearance.

We should differentiate between winter, spring or summer flowering shrubs, those producing fruit similar to that of normal fruit trees, such as the apple, and those with brightly-colored, purely ornamental berries.

Growing methods can differ considerably, as do the pruning methods. In general terms, early flowering shrubs (some with flowers appearing before the leaves) should be pruned as soon as the blooms wilt, whereas later flowering shrubs (late spring or summer) should be pruned in winter, or before growth begins in spring.

Flowering or fruiting is always spectacular on bonsai, because of the profusion of tiny flowers and fruit, and their dwarf size, less noticeable than that of the leaves.

The majority of ornamental bonsai shrubs are outdoor kinds, but some of those originating from the Mediterranean area should be protected from frost in winter.

Japanese camellia ( Camellia japonica )

Glossy evergreen leaves, flowers from mid-winter to spring.

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Small glossy leaves, green, turning red in autumn, red berries, upright habit.

Hawthorn ( Crataegus spp. )

Thorny, with small dentate leaves and white, pink or red flowers and decorative fruits in summer.

Winter jasmine ( Jasminum nudiflorum )

Green, square-section branches with cascading habit and a profusion of yellow flowers in winter.

Crab apple ( Malus spp. )

Shiny oval leaves, flowers ranging from white to deep pink, cherry-sized red fruits.

Japanese apricot ( Prunus mume )

Small, oval leaves, slender growth, bright pink flowers in winter.

Almond ( Prunus amygdalus )

Pointed, slightly dentate leaves, white flowers in winter.

Japanese cherry ( Prunus serrulata )

Oval leaves, white to pink flowers mid to late spring.

Firethorn ( Pyracantha angustifolia )

Thorny, with evergreen pointed leaves; white flowers in summer; yellow, orange or red autumn fruits.

Rhododendron spp.

Shiny pointed evergreen leaves, profusion of flowers in late spring.

Wisteria spp.

Pale mauve flowers in hanging clusters in late spring.

• Bonsai styles
• Chinese style bonsai
• Mame bonsai