Special Offer 8 year old Twisty S-Shaped Indoor Bonsai ~ Chinese Elm – Beginner’s Favourite
Product Code: IDCE7
£44.99 – £50.98Price range: £44.99 through £50.98
Enjoy this special offer on our beautiful 8-year-old Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) — the top-selling Chinese Elm Beginners Indoor Bonsai Favourite. With its elegant twisty S-shaped trunk, miniature woodland character and forgiving nature, it’s the perfect first indoor bonsai. Easy to care for, beautifully styled and potted in a classic blue ceramic pot, it brings calm and natural charm to any home. A meaningful gift symbolising inner strength, intuition, wisdom and love. Free next working day delivery available.
FREE Next Working Day Delivery to most UK addresses — order by 3:25pm (Mon–Fri)
FREE Nominated-Day Delivery to most UK addresses on orders over £29.99
Trusted, Sustainable Growers — every bonsai is nurtured with love on our Devon nursery by bonsai experts
FREE Gift Message available on all orders
Not Home? No Problem — Our couriers can leave your order in a safe place and will notify you of your delivery slot
Secure, Bespoke Packaging – safe, tracked delivery
- 1x Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) Beginners Twisty Indoor Bonsai - Standard Size 8 years
- 1x Drip Tray Options for Standard Pots
Special Offer Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) – Beginners Indoor Bonsai Favourite | Beautiful 8-Year-Old Twisty S-Shape
A Top-Selling Indoor Bonsai and the Perfect Starter Tree
Discover why this 8-year-old Chinese Elm is our Chinese Elm Beginners Indoor Bonsai Favourite. This charming indoor bonsai displays a graceful twisty S-shaped trunk, superb proportions, and miniature woodland features that make it one of the most sought-after starter bonsai in our entire collection.
Expertly grown by our family-run nursery in Devon, each tree offers a beautiful balance of movement, structure, and easy-care appeal. The elegant trunk flow and clean lines create a calm, artistic presence, while the small serrated leaves add texture and charm. Whether placed in a living room, hallway, home office, or workspace, this bonsai brings natural beauty and gentle character to any interior.
Potted into a traditional mid-blue glazed ceramic pot, this tree offers a timeless and harmonious look. You may add an optional matching drip tray to make care even easier and protect your surfaces.
Please note: This is a generic photograph. Your bonsai will be very similar but not identical, as each tree is naturally unique.
An Ideal Bonsai for Complete Beginners
The Chinese Elm is one of the most reliable and adaptable indoor species. Its forgiving nature, steady growth, and clear visual cues make it perfect for first-time bonsai owners. With consistent light, regular watering, and simple pruning, this bonsai quickly becomes a rewarding companion that grows in beauty over time.
This species symbolises inner strength, intuition, wisdom, and love — making it a meaningful gift for birthdays, new beginnings, congratulations, or simply as a thoughtful treat for someone special.
Why This Is a Chinese Elm Beginners Indoor Bonsai Favourite
Beautiful twisty S-shaped trunk
Miniature woodland tree appearance
Hardy, forgiving, and great for learning
Excellent proportions and character at 8 years old
A top 10 recommended indoor bonsai
Simple Care for Beginners
Position: Indoors in bright daylight; avoid direct sun in mid summer
Watering: Keep soil damp to the touch; never dry or waterlogged
Feeding: Apply bonsai fertiliser weekly to encourage new growth and vigour
Misting: Mist lightly several times per week for humidity (more important when the heating is on in the winter)
Pruning: Trim regularly to maintain shape and encourage fine branching
Repotting: Every 2–3 years in early spring
Each bonsai includes an easy-to-follow printed care guide with expert tips, symbolism, and placement advice.
Delivery & Presentation of this Chinese Elm Beginners Indoor Bonsai Favourite
We offer free next working day delivery to most UK addresses, or you can select your preferred delivery date at checkout. Gift wrap, personalised tags, and balloons are available to make this bonsai even more special.
Why Buy from Bonsai Direct
As a professional, family-run bonsai nursery, we grow every Chinese Elm with care, precision, and passion. We focus on sustainability, expert styling, excellent customer service, and safe delivery — ensuring your bonsai arrives beautifully presented, healthy, and ready to enjoy.
This exceptional Chinese Elm is a wonderful value choice and one of the finest introductions to bonsai you can offer.
| Species | The Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) makes a truly beautiful bonsai with small bright green leaves. 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; which can be grown either indoors or outdoors. |
| Evergreen | Yes |
| Flowering/Fruiting | No |
| Age (years) | 8 |
| Height (cm) | 28 |
| Pot Size (cm) | 15 x 10 |
| Pot Colour | Blue |
| Indoor/Outdoor | Either - Protect from hard frost |
| Difficulty | Easy - Perfect for Beginners |
| Maintenance | Positioning: Place in bright position avoiding direct sunlight in mid summer
Watering: Keep soil evenly damp; check daily. Feeding: Apply bonsai fertiliser weekly following the instructions on the bottle. Pruning: Trim new shoots regularly to keep shape and encourage ramification. Repotting: Repot every two years in early spring using free-draining bonsai soil. Note: Can live outside during summer months but protect from frost. |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
The Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) makes a truly beautiful bonsai with small bright green leaves. 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; which can be grown either indoors or outdoors.
Choose your date
| Service | When will it arrive? | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Delivery (England, Wales & Southern Scotland) | Next working day (order before 3:25pm) or your chosen date | FREE |
| Premium AM (Weekdays before 1pm) | Next working day (order before 3:25pm) or your chosen date | £8.99 |
| Weekend Delivery | Chosen Saturday or Sunday | £8.99 |
| Highlands & Islands AB37–38, AB54–56, FK17–21, GY, HS, IV1–63, JE, KA27–28, KW1–17, PA20–49, PA60–78, PH19–26, PH30–40, PH42–44, PH49–50, TR21–25, ZE | Two working days (order before 3:25pm) or your chosen date | £7.99 |
| Northern Ireland | Two working days (order before 3:25pm) or your chosen date | £7.99 |
📘 Printed care guide included with all orders.
🚚 All bonsai tree orders can be tracked and our couriers will notify you of your delivery slot.
Beginner-friendly
| Care | What to do | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Read your printed Care Instruction Guide included with every bonsai tree before you begin. | Upon arrival |
| On arrival | In hot weather, stand pot in water for 5 minutes, then drain. | Once on day 1 |
| Position | Indoor Bonsai – Bright daylight, avoid harsh midday sun & cold draughts. Outdoor Bonsai – bright to semi-shaded, sheltered position. | All year |
| Water | Check soil daily; keep damp to the touch (not soggy). In hot spells, soak the pot briefly. | Daily check |
| Mist | Lightly mist foliage to boost humidity and condition leaves. | Once or twice a week |
| Feed | Use bonsai fertiliser, diluted as directed. Follow the directions on the bottle. | Species dependant |
| Prune | Trim longer shoots to maintain shape and encourage new growth. | As needed |
| Health | If needed, use an invigorator/insecticide and follow the label instructions. | If issues arise |
🎥 Extra help & videos are available on our website.
✅ Every bonsai is checked, watered & securely packaged before dispatch.
Expert Overview by Lloyd Noall
- Ease of Care
- Rated 5 out of 5
- Value for Money
- Rated 5 out of 5
- Looks like a dwarf tree
- Rated 5 out of 5
- Popularity
- Rated 5 out of 5
- Positioning
- Rated 5 out of 5
Lloyd our Bonsai Expert has over 35 years of bonsai expertise and is highly regarded for his artistry, skill and teaching within the bonsai world. Lloyd shares some of this views about this 8 year old twisty Chinese Elm Bonsai tree.
“This bonsai is one of our top 10 favourites and with good reason” Lloyd shares. “The Chinese Elm is arguably the easiest indoor bonsai to care for and will even live outside if protected from the harshest frosts”. He continues ” I think this bonsai is the best representation of a wild woodland tree in miniature form:.
The Chinese Elm is sometimes known as a Zelkova or Ulmus bonsai tree. It has the most beautiful emerald evergreen leaves when grown inside. It is not fussy about positioning and has naturally small leaves.
Lloyd adds “This is a fast growing species which is suitable for any style of bonsai tree, from informal upright to cascade. It is superb at back-budding so pruning the tips results in lovely dense foliage pads of lush miniature leaves”. This is exactly what we are looking for when we grow a bonsai tree. “I have to say, it’s a personal favourite and this one has excellent twisty styling and has taken us 8 years to grow and style on our mid Devon nursery”.
Supplied in a blue ceramic bonsai pot with optional drip tray to catch any watering drips, this Chinese Elm represents astounding value for money. It has been regularly pruned to give it a great shape and all the pruning is done by skilled bonsai stylists. We also include a care guide.
Other interesting facts about the Chinese Elm Bonsai
- Unique Bark Texture: Unlike many bonsai species, the Chinese Elm develops a distinctive, almost cork-like bark texture as it matures, which enhances its visual appeal and gives it a rugged, natural look. This feature adds a level of depth to the tree’s appearance, making it feel as though it has weathered years of growth despite its miniature size.
- Fantastic Colours: The Chinese Elm thrives both indoors and outdoors, adapting to different environments while maintaining its vibrant appearance. When grown indoors, it retains lush, evergreen foliage, but when placed outdoors, it can display seasonal colours, transforming into shades of red and orange in autumn.
- Perfect for Bonsai Beginners: Thanks to its hardy nature and ease of care, the Chinese Elm is one of the best bonsai choices for newcomers. It’s resilient to minor mistakes and responds well to pruning, developing compact, dense foliage quickly. Its forgiving nature, combined with its graceful form, makes it ideal for those learning the art of bonsai and looking for a satisfying, rewarding experience.
Lloyd has decades of experience in the art of bonsai and is the founder of Bonsai Direct. He started selling bonsai trees commercially in 1995, nearly 30 years ago.
View Expert BioAll prices are inclusive of VAT at standard rate.
