Bonsai Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular bonsai species with care guides, traits, and styling tips.
Featured Bonsai
Showing 4 of 137 species
Kokonoe Japanese white pine
Pinus parviflora 'Kokonoe'
A yatsubusa white pine cultivar ranked alongside Zuisho. Its spring candles barely extend, so the tree keeps its shape for years with little pinching or pruning. Short needles and fine buds make it ideal for shohin bonsai.
© Daderot / CC0Korean Hornbeam
Carpinus turczaninowii
Deciduous tree with small leaves and fine branching. Easy to shape for bonsai with attractive brown-gold autumn color. Small leaf size makes it ideal for shohin.
© Ray_go / CC BY-SA 3.0Kyushu azalea
Rhododendron kiusianum
A small azalea that carpets volcanic uplands in Kyushu such as Kirishima, Aso and Kuju. With small leaves and dense branching, it covers its shoot tips with little flowers, mostly purple-red but also pink or white. Tough and ideal for shohin bonsai.
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.
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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.