Tree Species

Alder (Alnus Glutinosa) - Alder is a strong, fast growing tree, that develops a craggy ridged bark, with a huge root base. It therefore looks really good in winter, and its purple buds add interest in the spring. It looks best as a largish bonsai, because the leaves do not easily reduce in size. It is easy to train, and buds back well. It is important to rub off unwanted buds from the trunk or the vigour will go into the developing buds, and established branches may suffer from die-back. 

 

Ash (Fraxinus Excelsior) - The ash is an elegant tree, with beautiful foliage. In nature it grows rapidly, invading any open spaces it can. As a bonsai, it is easy. The roots are naturally fibrous, and it quickly develops a smooth, well-tapered trunk. It is very forgiving about conditions, making it an ideal tree for beginners. A large bonsai can look stunning, with it's drooping pinnate leaves. It can be susceptible to fungal disorders, and it is worth preventative spraying.

 

Berberis - There are many different types of Berberis, 600 it says in Hillier's Manual, all of which are quite good for bonsai. They vary in size from very small to large shrubs, and can be evergreen. The leaves are small, and they bear small flowers and showy berries. The only disadvantage are the long prickly spikes. They are also easy to cultivate, not being too fussy about soil or conditions.

 

Birch (Betula) - Silver birch is a much sought after bonsai, even though the tree is not as long-lived as most other trees. The silver trunk is a feature that has to develop, and young silver birch have shiny brown trunks. The leaves are delicate, but it can be susceptible to die back of branches over winter.

 

Bird Cherry (Prunus Padus)  -  The full grown bird cherry which has grown to its full potential is a magnificent, fairly large tree. The bark is dark and shiny, and in early summer it bears large numbers of racemes of tiny white flowers, making it a most spectacular sight. The flowers somewhat resemble lilac blossom.

 

Cherry Plum (Prunus Cerasifera) - This tree makes a beautiful specimen bonsai and is a spectacular sight in March when it is covered in white blossom. It is not unattractive all year, with a slightly reddish shiny bark. If you are lucky it then develops a crop of sweet cherry size plums that you can eat. 

 

Crab Apple (Malus) - Crab apple is a perfect bonsai. It trains well, having naturally downward growing branches, an attractive trunk that thickens easily, plus the added advantage of beautiful flowers in the spring. Ours are mainly Hupehensis which is a strong growing species with no real problems.

 

Firethorn (Pyracantha) - Attractive evergreen, with white flowers in June, and orange-red berries in winter.  Less vigorous as a bonsai than in the ground, and may benefit from extra care in the winter, although ours always survive winters outdoors. 

 

Hawthorn (Craetaegus Monogyna) - Common hawthorn naturally develops into a good bonsai. The twiggy habit combined with the small lobed leaves are ideally suited, and combined with the fact that it also flowers, you just can't go wrong. It is also reminiscent of countryside that is very dear to me, so I have very good feelings about hawthorn. The pink and red flowered varieties are equally attractive as bonsai, but look out for good grafts if you go for the coloured species.

 

Honeysuckle Evergreen (Lonicera Nitida) - This plant is vigorous in the ground and develops a thick shredded trunk. It is necessary to encourage a simple basic shape. The foliage consists of tiny evergreen leaves, but unlike many other species, pads become too dense and don't look very natural, so styling has to be a little more subtle.

 

Larch (Larix) - The European and Japanese larch are both beautiful trees. I have a slight preference for the Japanese, but mainly because it is what I am most familiar with. Like hawthorns, they represent to me a lifetime of hills and personal memories. They adapt themselves to all sorts of different conditions and take on any number of extreme shapes and habits, depending on the harshness of their surroundings. They have short needles, train well, change colour and bear cones at a young age. What more could you want?

 

Maple Amur (Acer Ginnala) - Similar to Trident maple, but more hardy, the roots being less fleshy. As young plants they tend to look a little twiggy, but they develop an elegance with age. The leaves have three lobes, and colour brilliantly in the autumn. They look good singly or make good groups.

 

Maple Field (Acer Campestre) - Small maple with attractive shaped leaves with good bonsai potential.

 

Maple Japanese (Acer Palmatum) - This is an immense category of plants, most of which are ideally suited to bonsai. There is plenty of colour variation between different species, and habits vary widely as well, some being of extremely short internodal length, while others grow quite rapidly. All will train well, leaf size can be reduced, and they all colour well in autumn. The well-publicised bonsai species Deshojo and Seigen both come into this category, but there are many many more.

 

Maple Norway - Like sycamores, these maples seed themselves all over the place, giving themselves a bad name, but as a beginner's bonsai they grow quickly, develop good trunks, train well, leaves reduce, and they have fantastic autumn colouring.

 

Pine Scots (Pinus Sylvestris) - Pines make superb bonsai. They are more difficult to understand than deciduous trees, but are a challenging and essential addition to any collection. The native Scots pine is easy to cultivate, with a flexible trunk and branches. The candles have to be pinched back to encourage tight growth and bud back. Cultivars such as Beuvronensis naturally produce tighter growth patterns, and make excellent bonsai. There are many other suitable cultivars.

 

Privet (Ligistrum) - Ever seen a good privet bonsai?  The advantage is that in June it is covered with small white flower heads, and the growth habit is tight and compact, making it very attractive. The trunks also develop character, so look out for those old hedges that are dug up and thrown out. They are worth the effort. 

 

Sloe or Blackthorn (Prunus Spinosa) - Another tree with fond memories of hillsides and white blossom. Sloe is, as it's name sounds, very slow growing. The habit is dense and twiggy, with plenty of downward growth to train. The tiny white flowers come out early in the spring, and the leaves that follow are small.  

 

Swamp Cypress (Taxodium Distichum) - These impressive trees also make excellent bonsai. The foliage is delicate and the trunks spectacular with orange-red peeing bark. They tend to develop good trunk taper.

 

Willow (Salix) - There are many types of willow, and the main problem of willow as bonsai is that they are too vigorous, and if you are not watching, the roots may grow through the bottom of the pot and take over all of the adjoining areas and pots as well. They also need frequent re-potting, and suffer from die-back. Having said all that, we have had a nice goat willow that we have showed, and weeping willow does have a nice ridged trunk.

 

Observatory Bonsai Nursery

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