A Look At The Different Bonsai Types


by Lee Dobbins

It is useful to know that the word “bonsai” is pronounced “bone-sigh”, with “bon” being translated as “tray” and “sai” as tree. A wide range of bonsai types are available and it is important to know that they get better with age!

Bonsai trees all have distinct styles such as informal upright, formal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, literati and raft. Also, they vary in size, ranging from miniature small and medium to average (they can either be small fruit or small flowered). There are still two key types – outdoor or indoor. Regardless, learning about either type will help you maintain healthy happy trees for years to come.

The tropical and sub tropical trees are the easiest bonsais to grow indoors and require to be cared for only as much as any house plant. It will be a good idea for absolute beginners to choose one of these for a bonsai, as it will give a good result with less effort. They respond best if they get the morning sun and afternoon shade. Some trees survive the sun all day ,but it is best to know and carefully watch how your bonsai is growing in its location. The bonsai can be moved outdoors in late spring bordering on summer but should be brought back indoors when temperatures drop below 55 degrees.

The best bonsai types for beginners are ficus, baby jade, and Hawaiian umbrella trees, to name only a few. Many other indoor bonsai trees exist, such as serissa, sago palms, araliad, Fukien tea, money tree, brush cherry, schefflera, bougainvillea, gardenias, and elms, which can be adapted. Two species of outdoor bonsai trees are evergreens like juniper and pine, and deciduous, like maple, gingko, and elm.

The evergreen bonsai trees look pretty in almost all seasons as they maintain their foliage all through the year. Some of the names in the evergreen variety are azaleas junipers, boxwoods, and most pines. Juniper responds well to the training and is beautiful looking, so it is the favorite of many bonsai lovers. The health of an evergreen bonsai has to be taken care of too and for that the plant needs a rest period or winter dormancy. The symptoms which a plant shows when it is in resting period are a dull green or yellowish tint to the foliage. A situation when the plant is showing these signs and is looking dull should not alarm you unnecessarily as it could be its dormancy period.

Deciduous trees typically experience loss of leaves or enter into a dormant stage but eventually generate new leaves in the springtime. There are many assortments of the bonsai tree. They include such species as crabapple, hornbeam, apricot and larch. There is one tree, the Japanese maple, which poses challenges for its owner. They are a delightful tree that experience color change in spring and during the fall season display a range of colors from yellow to red. An example of a bonsai tree suitable for outdoors is the Deciduous bonsai. They go dormant over the winter months and if keeping them indoors, they should be kept near a cool windowsill or outside in a shed. To keep them maintained, it is recommended that you use greatly reduce the amount of sunlight and water and keep consistent with the fertilizer applying it every few weeks.

All of the outdoor bonsai types should be managed with the utmost care and attention, particularly during the winter season. Ensure they receive adequate protection. Youll have all sorts of outdoor types to choose from, such as the Chinese fringe flower, Chinese elm, Japanese juniper, Japanese red maple, blue moss, cypress star, cypress, and soft touch holly. Bonsai trees are gorgeous miniature trees with a sophistication and work of art all of their own.

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