Bonsai UK Blog

Bonsai Trees

When it comes to purchasing bonsai trees for your home or garden there is a huge selection of species to choose from. Although many bonsai trees do have similar characteristics they all have their own unique look. It is a matter of looking around and finding the one you most like the look of.

Take for example Chinese Elm. Often they are the bonsai tree that people start off with in the western world, due to their low price, ease of care and their interesting shapes. They start at around 10cm tall, and will reach lofty heights of 90-100 cm if you wish them to.

Flowering bonsai trees provide a unique variation and splash of colour in the garden, often for many months of the year. Bonsai trees such as Azalea, Hawthorn and Crab Apple are all perfect species for bonsai, and Crab Apples have the added bonus of fruit later in the year!

Japanese Mountain maple bonsai trees provide yet another variation, mainly in their foliage colours, but also in the fine tracery of their branches and twig structure during the winter.

Many bonsai trees are available in different styles, such as broom style which has the branches facing upwards, much like a field tree in the wild, and forest style bonsai trees which, as the name suggests, look like little forests of trees.

These are just a few examples of the very different type of bonsai trees that are available. Many other varieties and styles of bonsai are available, and everyone will have their preference as to which is right for them. Seek advice and look at all the options available to you.

What you should bear in mind is that different bonsai trees require different levels and types of maintenance. You should make sure that you do your homework and research exactly what is required before you buy one. They also thrive in different environments so you should make sure that you buy one that matches the type of home you have, in order to get the most out of your plant.

There is a wealth of information that you can read online about the different bonsai trees, so finding what you need to know is easy if you look in the right place and speak to the right people. Bonsai nurserymen are a friendly bunch of people!

Often we like the look of a bonsai tree but we assume that it will be difficult or to look after it will take up too much time. The truth is that you can obtain a bonsai really easily from a wide variety of sources and as long as you choose the right one, they take very little upkeep at all.

If you are new to keeping bonsai, you should seek advice as to the best varieties available for you. Often one species will be much easier to maintain than another, or have more suitable requirements that you are able to provide without a great deal of change on your part.

If you simply like the look of a particular type of bonsai, then by all means purchase that tree, but you should research the care requirements for that tree before purchase.

Many people purchase bonsai for themselves to enjoy, many people collect bonsai and exhibit them much like works of art, at bonsai shows around the world. Others may purchase a bonsai as a gift for a friend or relative, and in this instance they make perfect presents. Don’t forget to provide care information with the bonsai when you give it as a present!

There are many bonsai nurseries the world over, all of which provide a good level of care and advice for their trees that they sell. Many nurseries offer a mail order or internet shop, making the purchase of these bonsai as convenient as possible for you. They will usually have pictures of the individual trees, and many are more than happy to oblige with additional pictures if required.