Beginners Bonsai

What’s the best choice for a beginner’s bonsai tree? This is not a particularly simple question because homes vary in warmth and light levels, but most species of bonsai are very easy to care for.
A superb tree for a beginner is the Lucky Jade Tree (Portulacaria afra) which requires minimal watering, the very natural & twiggy Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia), and the highly regarded relative of the Fig – Ficus banyan.

We have created a category of beginners indoor bonsai trees and beginners indoor bonsai kits which will give you the confidence to have a go and not be daunted by the number of options available. Don’t forget to use our interactive software to help you find the best indoor bonsai for you.

View our amazing Chinese Elm bonsai kit for beginners →

Which is the best bonsai tree for beginners?

Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)

Absolutely superb representation of a full growing tree, very natural in appearance with twiggy structure. Suitable from growing both indoors or outdoors but should be protected from temperatures of less than -5oC.

Chinese Sweet Plum (Sageretia theezans)

A wonderful fruiting variety of indoor bonsai which has small purple fruits from approximately 10 years of age and the stunning foliage has hints of rusty red turning to glossy green.

Ficus

A relative of the fig family this bonsai is perfect for darker rooms or if you are looking for a bonsai with spectacular aerial roots. This is also an indoor species and is not frost hardy.

Oriental Tea Tree (Carmona microphylla)

A superb indoor bonsai for someone looking for a flowering bonsai for indoors. It’s ideal for warmer rooms. Lovely small white flowers during summer months. A variety which does not like to be wet – please keep the soil slightly drier.

Japanese Pines and Junipers

A perfect evergreen outdoor bonsai trees for growing outside in the garden, on patio’s or decking or even balconies. These species prefer to be in a bright sunny position and prefer free-draining soil; they do not like to be wet.

English Oak (Quercus robur)

A wonderful native favourite outdoor bonsai tree with delightful lobbed leaves and powerful stature. The oak is an emblem of power, strength, ancient wisdom and survival and many nations, including England, have chosen the Oak as their national tree.

Aromatic Pepper Tree (Zanthoxylum piperitum)

Our recommendation if you are looking for something fragrant. Although this bonsai does not have a strong perfume it has a fresh zesty fragrance when pruned, has very pretty and well-proportioned leaflets and grows extremely well as an indoor bonsai variety.

Jade Tree (Portulacaria afra)

The indoor bonsai which requires the least maintenance. Of all the indoor varieties it requires the least amount of water so is ideal for busy people with little time in their homes lives. The bonsai which symbolises luck & prosperity it is also known as the ‘money tree bonsai’ thus making a wonderful gift. An added bonus being that the Jade tree is extremely effective in carbon absorption (binding atmospheric carbon which is responsible for climate change) and aids in the fight for Clean Air. It can absorb more carbon from the earth’s atmosphere than most other plants and is extremely efficient and effective.

Japanese Maples

Japanese Acers or Maple bonsai trees are perhaps one of the most fascinating of all bonsai. They are deciduous, which makes them constantly changing and therefore, constantly fascinating. With that comes their beautiful transitions throughout the year in terms of leaf colour; from striking spring and autumn reds, golds, oranges and yellows to their softer blush colours during mid-summer. A top outdoor bonsai and always a favourite. This is an easy bonsai to care for but it is important to protect them from strong winds which burn their leaves.

How long does it take to grow a bonsai?

We recommend not starting with seeds or cuttings when you are starting to grow your bonsai. Germinating bonsai seeds can take months and can be a rather disheartening process that involves the need for cold stratification. In nature, seeds require certain conditions in order to germinate. We need to mimic these conditions in a process called seed stratification to germinate bonsai seeds and this can involve placing seeds through warm and cold treatments for differing periods of time.

Propagating indoor bonsai from cuttings is usually slightly more successful but obviously, you need a bonsai to propagate from. This is why we suggest simply starting out by purchasing your first bonsai tree from a reputable bonsai specialist and first learning about watering, feeding, and pruning. This is far more satisfying in the first instance and you can then lead on to your own propagation.

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