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.

Bonsai Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia of popular bonsai species with care guides, traits, and styling tips.

Featured Bonsai

Japanese White Pine Chinese Elm Bamboo Bonsai

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Showing 3 of 137 species

Chinese quince

Pseudocydonia sinensis

Intermediate

A deciduous rose-family tree from China whose bark flakes into a mottled greenish-brown pattern. Pale pink flowers in spring are followed by large yellow fruits 10–15 cm long; it has been called the king of fruiting bonsai.

FruitingOrnamental barkRose family

Japanese rowan

Sorbus commixta

Intermediate

A deciduous rose-family tree whose pinnate leaves turn scarlet in autumn, with clusters of red berries that stay on after leaf fall. Flat heads of small white flowers appear in early summer. It prefers cool climates and is hard to keep long in warm lowlands.

Autumn colourFruitingDeciduous

Tall stewartia

Stewartia monadelpha

Intermediate

A deciduous tree of the camellia family whose smooth, red-brown trunk is counted among Japan's three most beautiful barks. Small white flowers 1.5–2 cm across nod in early summer, and leaves turn red in autumn. Smaller in flower and leaf than Stewartia pseudocamellia.

DeciduousOrnamental barkAutumn colour

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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.

Bonsai Encyclopedia

Featured Bonsai

Chinese quince

Japanese rowan

Tall stewartia

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Bonsai FAQ

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