Bonsai Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular bonsai species with care guides, traits, and styling tips.
Featured Bonsai
Showing 19 of 77 species
© Ronnie Nijboer / CC0Chinese Elm
Ulmus parvifolia
A deciduous bonsai with small leaves and fine branching. Fast growth makes styling easy for beginners. Semi-evergreen, providing foliage interest year-round.
© Geographer ( talk ) / CC BY 3.0Chinese Hackberry
Celtis sinensis
Deciduous bonsai bearing small fruits in autumn. Smooth gray bark and natural form are appealing. Birds visiting for fruits add charm. Good root spread.
Chinese Pepper Tree
Deciduous tree with vivid yellow inner bark. In bonsai, contrast between yellow bark and autumn color is beautiful. Known in traditional medicine with distinctive bitter taste.
Deshojo Maple
Acer palmatum
A maple cultivar famed for vivid crimson spring foliage. Beautiful color transitions through green to autumn red. Especially popular as shohin bonsai.
© EecherplazGinkgo06.jpg : Cayambe derivative work: Ginkgotree ( talk ) / CC BY-SA 3.0Ginkgo
is also
An ancient tree called a living fossil. Fan-shaped leaves and vivid yellow autumn color are spectacular. Unique aerial roots (chichi) add interest. Hardy and beginner-friendly.
© Nihongo1234 / CC BY-SA 4.0Japanese Beech
Japanese beech
Bonsai of a tall deciduous tree with smooth silver-white bark and elegant form. Enjoy spring budding, summer green, autumn gold, and winter marcescent leaves.
© northofsweden from Sweden / CC BY 2.0Japanese Birch
Betula platyphylla
Deciduous tree with beautiful white bark. Captures the cool highland scenery in a small pot. Enjoy fresh green, yellow autumn leaves, and white trunk winter silhouette.
© Bruce Marlin / CC BY 3.0Japanese Hornbeam
Carpinus japonica
Deciduous tree with fine branching and small leaves ideal for bonsai. Creates elegant broom-style silhouettes similar to zelkova. Autumn gold. Alpine species preferring cool conditions.
© Alpsdake / CC0Japanese Lime
Tilia japonica
A tree deeply connected to Buddhism. Heart-shaped leaves are characteristic but can be reduced in bonsai. Yellow flowers and autumn color are attractive. Evokes temple atmosphere.
© Kurt Stüber [1] / CC BY-SA 3.0Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
The quintessential deciduous bonsai, showcasing all four seasons — spring green, summer foliage, autumn color, winter silhouette. Fine ramification and small leaves are the hallmarks.
Japanese Snowbell
Styrax japonicus
Deciduous bonsai with dangling white bell-shaped flowers in early summer. Profuse bloomer with elegant appearance. Unique autumn fruits. Natural branching is beautiful.
© Aomorikuma / CC BY-SA 3.0Japanese Sumac
Toxicodendron vernicifluum
Deciduous tree with pinnate compound leaves and vivid autumn colors. Natural wild appearance with a mountain grass aesthetic. Popular as small bonsai.
© Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen / Public domainJapanese Wax Tree
Toxicodendron succedaneum
Deciduous bonsai with brilliant scarlet autumn color, among the finest in bonsai. Unique pinnate leaf silhouette. Cool summer greenery. Fast growing and easy to shape.
© 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.
© Sanchezn / CC BY-SA 3.0Liquidambar
Liquidambar formosana
Also called sweetgum. Star-shaped leaves with spectacular autumn color. Deep corky bark ridges are also attractive. Relatively fast-growing and beginner-friendly.
© by Reggaeman / CC BY-SA 3.0Stewartia
Stewartia pseudocamellia
Deciduous bonsai blooming with white camellia-like flowers in summer. Smooth bark develops beautiful mottled pattern with age. Triple appeal: flowers, bark, and autumn color.
© 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.
© Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0Weeping Willow
Salix babylonica
Deciduous tree with gracefully drooping branches full of atmosphere. Enjoy waterside scenery up close. Very fast growth requires frequent care, but unique form is unmatched.
© KENPEI / CC BY-SA 3.0Zelkova
Zelkova serrata
The signature broom-style bonsai tree. Fan-shaped fine branching is its greatest charm. The winter silhouette after leaf drop is considered the pinnacle of bonsai aesthetics.
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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.