Selecting the best bonsai trees for beginners can be tricky and can turn an exciting experience into a daunting task. There are so many varieties to select from and so many factors to consider. This article aims to help you learn about the different types of bonsai available before settling on the one to buy.
Ficus Bonsai
The Ficus is the most popular indoor tree species and is easily ranked as some of the best bonsai trees for beginners. The trees belong to the family of mulberry plants. The are hundreds of varieties of ficus bonsai.
They all typically have a milky latex sap which only leaks when they are wounded or cut. The tropical figs are evergreen trees, which can be climbing plants or small shrubs. Some of them produce pretty flowers, while most ficus species produce hidden flowers.
Ficus Retusa the bonsai is usually available shaped with a beautiful s-curved trunk and oval, dark green leaves. The plant is easy to style and resistant to mistakes and negligence. It can be easily formed into different styles.
Ficus Ginseng is also a popular bonsai with a thick, pot-bellied trunk, similar to the Ginseng root.
Ficus Benjamina is also known as the Weeping fig. The gorgeous evergreen tree produces wide canopies with fine branches that cascade downwards. It is also a relatively popular plant amongst bonsai lovers. It can be grown either indoors or outdoors.
Ficus Religiosa which is also commonly now as the Bodhi tree. Other names used to refer to the bonsai include the peepal tree, sacred fig, and bo-tree. The fig is fast-growing and tough. It produces attractive heart-shaped leaves which turn glossy green as they mature.
The plant also produces aerial roots. The bonsai should be positioned where it receives at least 6 hours of sunlight. It can be trained to make man different styles.
Check out these beautiful bonsai trees for sale. Some even cost less than $30.
Juniper Bonsai
The genus has about 50 species which are evergreen coniferous shrubs. The most popular is the Juniper Procumbens Nana, especially amongst beginners.
The junipers are preferred as some of the best bonsai trees because they are easy to grow, care for, and train with the end result being very appealing bonsai.
It is good to note that junipers don’t do well indoors and should be grown outdoors in a sunny spot. The bonsai can be protected from the hot afternoon sun as well as low temperatures below 14 degrees.
Boxwood Bonsai
Many people know the boxwood as a hedging plant. However, it also makes a beautiful bonsai. The boxwood species are perfect for beginners because they are easy to care for as well as maintain. The plants also adapt easily to containers.
The bonsai does best when positioned outside. It is a resilient, tough bonsai that can withstand direct sunlight but does best when placed in the partial sun. The bonsai should be protected during cold winters.
The bonsai can produce different styles including upright, slanting, and informal upright.
Pomegranate Bonsai
The pomegranate produces eye-catching bonsai. The fruit tree is easy to train as a bonsai because it has a shallow root system. The robust plant has beautiful bark, produces stunning red flowers, and awesome fruits.
The plant should be positioned outside throughout the year except when the temperatures fall below 5 degrees.
The bonsai can be trained to make different styles including semi-cascade, slanting, informal upright, twisted trunk, as well as multi-trunks.
Chinese Elm Bonsai
The Chinese elm makes a bonsai easily. The bonsai is preferred for beginners because it is quite forgiving and can put up with regular pruning and styling. It is native to East Asia.
The bonsai should be positioned where it receives some sunlight both in the morning and in the evening. The plant can tolerate a wide range of temperature changes but doesn’t do well when placed in the path of cold drafts.
The Chinese elm can be styled as an informal upright, cascade, broom, and semi-cascade.
Maple Bonsai
There are in excess of 100 species of maple and many of them are used as bonsai. A significant portion of bonsai lovers identifies them as some of the best bonsai trees available in the market.
Trident Maple is probably the favorite amongst many of the maples. The red maple is beautiful and produces stunning bonsai. The plant is a deciduous tree and does well when planted outdoors.
Japanese Maple is preferred as a bonsai because of its color, lobed leaves, as well as how easily it adapts as a bonsai. The plant also has several varieties which can be formed into a variety of styles.
The Japanese maple is hardy, prefers sunny and airy positions. Only the midday sun can cause some damage to the leaves. The bonsai should also be protected from frost below -100 c.
Jade Bonsai
The jade bonsai is a hardy and easy to care for evergreen. The bonsai is preferred because it has a thick trunk that makes it achieve a mature look quickly. The jade bonsai has a thick fleshy trunk, stems, and leaves.
The bonsai is also categorized among the best bonsai trees because it can grow both indoors as well as outdoors. The bonsai does well with temperatures above 50 c.
It can be trained into different styles including clump, root over rock, informal upright, as well as slanting.
Dwarf Schefflera Bonsai
One of the best bonsai trees for indoor growers. The bonsai is preferred because it is drought resistant and easy to grow. The bonsai tree is also perfect for beginners because it is difficult to kill.
Bonsai lovers also like it because it is easy to train and also forms aerial roots. It is also perfect for making bonsai with a dramatic banyan style.
The dwarf Schefflera can be trained into different styles including rock-over-root, cascade, clump, clasped-to-rock, group planting, informal upright, and banyan.
There are so many other bonsai trees available including bougainvillea, Fukien tea, crape myrtle, common beech, baobab, cotoneaster horizontalis, Indian banyan, jacaranda, adenium, olive, azalea, guava, Brazilian rain tree, cherry blossom, pine, Chinese banyan, cedar, and banksia.
Final Thoughts on Bonsai Trees
Bonsai are awesome houseplants that can leave for many years especially when they receive the proper care. If you are a beginner plant owner check these posts that might interest you:
I hope this list of the best bonsai trees for beginners was useful and will help you find your ideal bonsai that is suitable to your needs. Check flowersandflowerthings Pinterest for more posts on flowers and houseplants.
