Bonsai Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular bonsai species with care guides, traits, and styling tips.
Featured Bonsai
Showing 64 of 137 species(49–64)
© Augustus Binu : flickr / CC BY-SA 3.0Pomegranate
Punica granatum
Flowering and fruiting bonsai with vermillion flowers and fruits. Twisted trunks and aged appearance are appealing. Split fruits are charming. Drought-tolerant and sun-loving.
© Tiffany825 / CC BY 3.0Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus
Deciduous shrub blooming continuously from summer to autumn. Known as Korea's national flower. Individual flowers last one day but bloom in succession. Hardy and fast-growing.
© Laitche / CC BY-SA 4.0Sasanqua camellia
Camellia sasanqua
An evergreen camellia that blooms white to pink from late autumn into winter. Unlike Camellia japonica, its petals fall one by one and the flowers carry a faint scent, making it a favorite flowering bonsai for the bare season.
© KENPEI / CC BY-SA 3.0Satsuki Azalea
Rhododendron indicum
The iconic flowering bonsai of Japanese culture. Blooms in May-June with thousands of cultivars. Huge variety in flower color and form. Star of exhibitions.
Satsuki azalea 'Kinsai'
Rhododendron indicum 'Kinsai'
An old satsuki of unknown parentage whose red flowers split into narrow strap-like petals (saizaki form). Its fine small leaves colour well in autumn. Occasionally a normal five-petalled flower appears, and that branch is cut out at flowering.
© Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA / CC BY 2.0Satsuki azalea 'Korin'
Rhododendron indicum 'Korin'
A satsuki bred from 'Kozan' × 'Osakazuki', bearing small plain purplish-red flowers with thick, pointed petals. The narrow small leaves colour in autumn. A popular, free-flowering and vigorous cultivar.
© Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA / CC BY 2.0Satsuki azalea 'Nikko'
Rhododendron indicum 'Nikko'
A satsuki found as a sport of the old cultivar 'Kozan'. Small flowers in pale salmon-pink with stripes and flecks, plus solid red, pink or white on the same plant. Small leaves, good branching and budding make it a bonsai staple.
© Ragesoss / CC BY-SA 3.0Satsuki azalea 'Osakazuki'
Rhododendron indicum 'Osakazuki'
Read 'Osakazuki', the classic satsuki—so widely planted that 'satsuki' often simply means this cultivar. Free-flowering with medium, deep pink-purple blooms, vigorous and tolerant of shearing, it is an old cultivar with handsome reddish bark.
Satsuki azalea 'Yata-no-kagami'
Rhododendron indicum 'Yata-no-kagami'
An old satsuki of unknown parentage dating from the Meiji era, with medium deep-red flowers marked by a large white centre. Its glossy, thick leaves colour beautifully in autumn, and it is vigorous and easy to train.
Schefflera
Heptapleurum arboricola
Tropical evergreen with distinctive palmate leaves radiating outward. Extremely hardy and grows indoors, perfect for bonsai beginners. Develops aerial roots for banyan-style forms.
Senjumaru Japanese black pine
Pinus thunbergii 'Senjumaru'
A yatsubusa black pine that arose as a sport of the black pine 'Kotobuki'. It buds prolifically, making branch development easy, and has short, thick, deep-green needles. Quick to form a tree, it suits shohin bonsai and is popular abroad.
© Hurricanefan24 / CC BY-SA 3.0Trident Maple
Acer buergerianum
Popular deciduous bonsai with distinctive three-lobed leaves. Appealing root spread, bark texture, and autumn color. Often styled as root-over-rock. Fast growth suits beginners.
Tsuyama hinoki cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Tsuyama'
A yatsubusa hinoki found in Tsuyama, Okayama, in 1955. Dense, deep-green scale foliage with rounded tips spreading in fans recalls shimpaku juniper. Tough and tolerant of pruning, it is the standard hinoki for shohin bonsai.
© Dandarmkd / CC BY-SA 4.0Winged spindle
Euonymus alatus
A deciduous shrub counted among the world's three great autumn-colour trees, turning brilliant red. Corky wings along the stems are distinctive, and red-coated seeds appear in autumn. A single plant sets fruit.
© Jean-Jacques MILAN / CC BY-SA 3.0Winter Jasmine
Jasminum nudiflorum
Flowering bonsai covered in yellow blooms in early spring. Weeping habit suits cascade style. Bright yellow heralds spring when few flowers bloom. Hardy and easy.
© KENPEI / CC BY-SA 3.0Yama-momiji (Japanese maple var. amoenum)
Acer amoenum var. matsumurae
A wild maple common in mountains on the Sea of Japan side, with leaves a little larger than iroha-momiji and cut into 7–9 lobes. Vigorous, fast-growing and easy from seed, it is the parent of many cultivars, a common rootstock and a staple bonsai material.
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Bonsai FAQ
- How much do bonsai cost?
- Mini bonsai cost 1,000-5,000 yen, medium bonsai 5,000-50,000 yen, and masterpiece-class large bonsai hundreds of thousands to millions of yen depending on age, size, and form.
- Can beginners start bonsai?
- Starting with small Japanese maple, Shimpaku juniper, or Japanese white pine is recommended. With basic watering and 1-2 annual prunings, beginners can fully enjoy bonsai.
- How long do bonsai live?
- With proper care, bonsai can live for hundreds of years. Japan has many bonsai several centuries old, valued as art pieces passed down across generations.
- What should I check when buying bonsai?
- Look at root spread, trunk movement, and branch balance. Beginners may enjoy starting with affordable raw material trees and shaping them, rather than finished specimens.
- What's most important for bonsai care?
- Daily watering is the most important task. Water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, twice daily in summer (morning and evening). Keep outdoors in a spot with good airflow and sunlight.