Bonsai Oasis

Camellia

Camellias are popular because they bear quite a few flowers. If you cultivate them properly, you’ll end up with one of the most appealing bonsai you can get. They need protection from frost and a bit of shade. On the other hand, they stand up well to hard pruning if done in wintertime or just after they flower.

You can stylize camellias in an upright fashion using one or many trunks, or you can try large or extra large cascades. Cedar Elm

Like most elm trees, cedar elms are great for bonsai work and they are very forgiving of improper treatment. They are great in part because of their rough, fissured bark. When you find a cedar elm, most likely it came from the wild and thus has a slightly aged look. Their branches respond well to shoot pinching, branching out without complaint, and their leaves don’t grow too big. Beginners will find cedar elms easy to work with and collect.

They can thrive in a wide array of soil types. Cedar elms’ native habitat is hot and dry, so they’ll grow best if you keep their moisture minimal. They’ll need more water come springtime, but most trees do.

Keep them in full to dappled sunlight. Cedar elms act oddly if they get more sun than they need; it can be a little frustrating to work with, though. They twist their leaves edge-up to make sure their leaves aren’t overexposed to the sunlight. If they still receive too much sun then they turn slightly yellow. Chinese Elm

Chinese elms are perfect for bonsai, indoors or outdoors. Beginners should definitely look into Chinese elms, as they grow in a fairly predictable way and heal quickly after pruning. Chinese elms have a variety of different bark appearances: some elms have smoother bark, while others show their age easily, becoming very rough and developing deep rents over time, which gives your bonsai a certain character. If you have a smooth barked elm, remember that it’s not as resilient as the rough sort, so you need to care better for it.

Chinese elms will do well under shade or full, direct sunlight, though you need to shade it some when it gets hotter or your elm will dry out. Dwarf Pomegranate

Bonsai experts are steadily getting more into dwarf pomegranates. They’re appealing because of the way they flower and develop fruit.

The highlight of the dwarf pomegranate is its seasonal ‘trumpet’ flowers in an incredibly vivid yellow-orange, but that’s not all that makes it great.

Their trunks twist naturally, giving it an ancient, gnarled look, which is the kind of appearance that bonsai enthusiasts love. They have lush dark-green leaves, sometimes sport hints of bronze; after they flower, the plant bears lovely red pomegranates as big as golf balls.

Dwarf pomegranates are great for many bonsai formations – informal upright, tree on rock, root over rock, twin trunk, cascade, group, literati, windswept, and twisting trunk – and it does well in conditions that mimic the Mediterranean, calling for hot and sunny weather.

Ficus

“Fake” ficus plants are very popular; you probably know someone who has them. These “fakes” are just the bigger ficus varieties. But you should look into miniature ficuses as they make for stunning bonsai. Sometimes known as the rainforest fig, the ficus responds very well to bonsai. Most figs are tropical, native to the jungles in southeast Asia. The fig family is huge, comprising hundreds of different species.

Fig fruits, born in the tree’s leaf axils, enclose the tree’s tiny annual flowers. Don’t expect fruiting if using a fig tree for bonsai, though. They do best either directly in the sun or under partial shade, rooted in moist, well-drained soil, and require protection from the cold.

Ficuses tend to have aerial roots that grow from the trunk and branches. If you’re working on a ficus, you need to decide whether to remove those roots or to leave them on and try to use them in your bonsai design.

Those roots are initially very weak, but over time they grow stronger and sturdier; they just need to reach down and begin to receive nutrients. Clasped-to-rock designs are the usual design chosen for incorporating the banyan fig’s extraordinary aerial roots. The banyan fig’s incredible roots are best used in clasped-to-rock bonsai designs. Japanese Black Pine

If any tree can be called the true bonsai tree, it’s the Japanese black pine. They’re almost unparalleled in their sturdy serenity; black pine’s appearance gives the impression of ancient, though inconspicuous, wisdom and authority. However, they take quite a long time to get that perfectly weathered appearance that enthusiasts crave. If you want to grow a Japanese black pine, you need to be dutiful and attentive, making sure you care properly and precisely for your tree. You have to be aware that it’s your responsibility to make sure future bonsai enthusiasts have good black pine to work with.

In their favor, black pines are very sturdy and work well with bonsai styling. It is a fine line you need to walk, though; for it to be truly great, you’ve got to maintain it avidly.

Black pines naturally grow leggy branches that come out of whorls in their leggy trunk. At their tips, their branches sport small round tufts of foliage. Pines, like most trees, are incredibly dominant; the tree’s upper branches absorb most of its received energy, letting the other branches grow weak. You need to keep tabs on all of these factors, since they work against the ideal bonsai appearance.

Don’t feel constrained to this list of trees, as this is just a jumping-off point; feel free to explore other species for your bonsai. But your chosen tree must have a few important traits in order for it to be good for bonsai.