Bonsai Descriptions

Chinese Elm (Ulmus parviflolia)
The Chinese Elm makes a truly beautiful bonsai. The leaves are small, bright to deep green and are slightly serrated. The tree has excellent twig structure and has great character throughout, making it the perfect representation of a woodland tree. In our opinion the Chinese Elm is the most perfectly proportioned, easy to care for and adaptable tree and makes a superb bonsai. Can be grown as an indoor or outdoor bonsai. A must for anyone.

Serissa (Serissa foetida)
The Serissa has small elongated leaves which are smooth around the edges. The bark has great character and is a beautiful beige colour. The added bonus being the beautiful star-shaped small white flowers experienced during mid-late summer. The Serissa is commonly known as ‘the tree of a thousand stars’. Please protect from frost. Ideal as an indoor bonsai.

English Oak (Quercus robur)
Although I love all trees, the English Oak holds a special place in my heart. It was a natural progression for me to specialise in them. Our English Oak bonsai are fantastic representations of these majestic native trees. They form powerful trunks and main branches and make incredible bonsai. On most of our oak bonsai the leaf size is down to about 5cm (2”) and on some of the older ones they are about 2.5cm (1”) They are easy to care for and extremely hardy. A must for all tree and bonsai lovers. Prune to shape.

English Maple / Field Maple (Acer campestre)
Lovely shaped foliage with a beautiful autumn colour. English maples represent the hardiest of the maple family, being native to Europe. They have wonderful shape and form and are easy to care for. When pruning please allow 1-2cm for die back. A lovely outdoor bonsai.

Hibiscus / Rosemallow
Renowned for their beautiful showy purple flowers. Hibiscus makes an interesting bonsai with lush bright green foliage. They make a lovely flowering outdoor bonsai and enjoy a sheltered position. Unusual in the bonsai world.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)
A bonsai classic. Fantastic spring and autumn foliage, displaying reds, yellows, oranges and greens throughout the growing season. They require a sheltered position in the garden protected from strong winds. When pruning please allow 1-2cm for die back and do not use wire to style your maple as the bark is very delicate and scars easily. A truly beautiful bonsai.

Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora)
Probably the most popular bonsai in Japan. A beautiful evergreen bonsai which needs to be kept fairly dry. Fully hardy outdoor bonsai which will tolerate a sunny position. Forms fantastic trunk and branches, very slow growing with amazing character. Can be styled using both pruning and wiring techniques. Fantastic bonsai.

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
The Common ash, is as the name suggests, very common in the English countryside. It is not, however, common in the bonsai world. The ash makes a powerful, yet graceful bonsai; it grows fairly fast and can be pruned hard. It is a hardy tree and easy to care for.

Larch (Larix)
Larch trees make beautiful bonsai. During winter the branches are bare revealing intricate branch and twig structures. When spring comes, small bright green needle shaped leaves appear around the buds, giving the appearance of small green flowers. After watering little globules of water are trapped in the centre of the leaves, which sparkle in the sunlight. The foliage darkens during summer and in autumn turns bright gold. The bark also has great character. The Larch is easy to shape using pruning and wiring techniques.

Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
Native to the Mediterranean areas the Turkey oak makes a handsome bonsai with dark green, fury leaves with deep cut lobes. The turkey oak can be very late to lose its foliage in the autumn and often retains some foliage during mild winters. It is an easy tree to care for and should be shaped by pruning. The trunk thickens nicely and the bark is dark grey giving the bonsai a silhouette look.

Hawthorn (Crataegus)
In the wild the hawthorn is a survivor, it clings to life in the remotest areas where no other trees dare to grow. In winter it reveals large thorns which make for delicate pruning! It has lush green foliage with deeply divided lobes in summer. Mature bonsai will have beautiful blossom followed by red berries. This is a no fuss tree which makes an extremely hardy outdoor bonsai. Easy to care for.

Azalea (Rhododendron species)
Azaleas are often grown for there amazing flowers, but with the right training azaleas can make beautiful miniature trees. The roots and start of the trunk are often naturally good. The bark is smooth and beige. During spring the bright green leaves are over shadowed by a truly magical display of flowers. Azaleas respond well to pruning, so shape is easily maintained. Keep well watered during flowering, just damp at other times. Hardy outdoor tree.

Japanese Red Maple (Acer palmatum Deshojo)
Truly beautiful and vibrant spring and autumn colour. With bright red foliage throughout the spring, changing to pink/greens during the summer months. A classic Japanese bonsai with great character. Requires a sheltered position, protected from strong winds to prevent leaf scorch. When pruning please allow 1-2cm for die back and do not use wire to style your maple as the bark is very delicate and scars easily. A bonsai classic.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum Katsura)
Striking orange foliage during the spring and autumn with beautiful leaf proportion making this a beautiful bonsai. Lovely bark. Also requires a sheltered position and protection from strong winds. When pruning please allow 1-2cm for die back and do not use wire to style your maple as the bark is very delicate and scars easily.

Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
Extremely hardy native bonsai with simply fabulous silvery bark. It takes several years before the trunk turns silver/white with black horizontal striations. The edges of the leaves are slightly serrated and the foliage turns a lovely yellow colour in the autumn. Please do not over look the silver birch as a bonsai, its beautiful bark and delicate branches make a fabulous addition to any bonsai collection. Please ensure that any major pruning is undertaken during the summer months to prevent die back.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Beautiful flowering and fruit bearing bonsai with small, glossy, narrow leaves. The flowers are small and trumpet shaped and are bright orange in colour. The fruits are thick skinned and full of seeds. Pomegranates are frost tolerant but do benefit from some protection, although heat is not necessary. The bark of the pomegranate is a fantastic feature. It has depth and character. Unlimited potential as a bonsai, I believe we will enjoy the pomegranate’s new fame in the future.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
The beech has beautiful waxy veined leaves displaying fabulous spring and autumn colour. In the spring the leaves appear to have an artificial lime green iridescence and during autumn the leaves turn yellow at first, then orange and brown. To me the beech signifies the changing British seasons. The bark of the beech is smooth and grey and the leaves are often retained well into the winter, finally released as the new buds swell in the spring. Shape by pruning. Very hardy.

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Displays bright green pointed leaves and smooth silver-grey bark. Often confused with the beech tree the hornbeam makes a lovely native bonsai. The Hornbeam responds well to pruning and buds back very easily. Trunk and branches start to show great character from an early age. A hardy bonsai and very easy to grow.

Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa)
With lovely long slender leaves with saw like edges the sweet chestnut makes a powerful and yet graceful bonsai. The trunk thickens nicely as do the main branches and roots. The canopy is free and open which allows for space around the trunk. Very hardy and easy to care for.

Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
The horse chestnut displays spectacular flowers and spiky fruits containing shiny conkers on mature trees. The large hand-like leaves reduce gradually over time forming a well proportioned bonsai. The horse chestnut is not one of the easiest trees to train as it is difficult to maintain proportion. But with the right pruning it can make a handsome bonsai. Very hardy.

White Willow (Salix alba)
The white willow is a shapely tree, with a stout trunk and small silvery leaves and slender twigs with grey/white buds. White willows are native to Britain and flourish in damp soils. Easy to care for. Hardy.

Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum)
Highly under-rated bonsai. The autumn foliage can be fantastic, incorporating wonderful shades of orange/yellow and russet tones. Less susceptible to leaf scorch than other Japanese maples. Great character throughout with beautiful lightly grained bark. When pruning please allow 1-2cm for die back and do not use wire to style your maple as the bark is very delicate and scars easily. Trident maples are easy to care for and grow fairly fast. Hardy.

Fig (Ficus retusa)
The fig has dark green glossy leaves and is unusual in that it will tolerate lower light levels. The fig makes a fantastic indoor bonsai and should be protected from the frost. It buds back very quickly after pruning and has an immense amount of character in the truck and aerial root system. A very powerful bonsai, fun and easy to care for. It is also less susceptible to pest attack. Protect from cold (min 10oC).

Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
A bonsai favourite. This wonderful evergreen bonsai has it all - naturally small foliage, incredible character throughout the trunk and branches, it’s evergreen and has beautiful flaky bark. The juvenile foliage of the juniper is spiky but as it matures soft ‘pads’ of foliage are formed. The juniper responds very well to training by pruning and wiring. Please be careful to check the wire weekly to prevent scaring. Junipers will tolerate a very sunny position and like to be kept on the dry side, in a free draining soil. Very hardy.