A Look At The Different Bonsai Types

It is useful to know that the word “bonsai” is pronounced “bone-sigh”, with “bon” being translated as “tray” and “sai” as tree. A wide range of bonsai types are available and it is important to know that they get better with age!

Bonsai trees all have distinct styles such as informal upright, formal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, literati and raft. Also, they vary in size, ranging from miniature small and medium to average (they can either be small fruit or small flowered). There are still two key types - outdoor or indoor. Regardless, learning about either type will help you maintain healthy happy trees for years to come.

Two varieties of bonsais that will grow indoors are the tropical and subtropical bonsais tree. If you have never grown bonsais before then one of these is a good choice for you. These trees like the morning sun and the afternoon shade, while some can tolerate full sun it is probably a good idea to watch and see where it flourishes the most. These indoor bonsais can also do well outside as long as they are not left out when it gets too hot or when the temperature goes below 55 degrees.

The bonsai types most suitable for the novice include Hawaiian umbrella trees, baby jade, and ficus, just to list a few. There are plenty of other varieties, including serissa sago palms, Fukien tea aralias, brush cherry money trees, schefflera gardenias, and bougainvilleas. Elms can easily be adapted to most homes as well. There are two species of outdoor bonsai trees. These are evergreen trees such as pine and junipers and deciduous trees which include elms, maples, and ginkgo trees.

Evergreen bonsai trees are especially nice because they keep their leaves or needles throughout the year. Azaleas, boxwoods, juniper, and most pines fall into this category. Both beautiful and trainable, the juniper is a very popular bonsai tree variety. A healthy evergreen bonsai will go through a dormant period every year. There’s no need to worry if you see a yellowish tinge or a dull green on the leaves or needles, it’s just the evergreen bonsai during its rest cycle.

Trees that shed their leaves during autumn or enter the dormant phase before re-sprouting in the spring are known as deciduous trees. The different types of bonsai trees include larch apricot, hornbeam, ginko, maple, crabapple, and elm species. Of all the indoor trees, the Japanese maple is the most challenging one. They’re famed for their foliage changing color during the spring and fall seasons. Their color varies, ranging from yellow to orange to a beautiful deep red. Unless they can be placed in a shed garage or near a cool window sill, deciduous bonsai are not really appropriate for growing indoors as they become dormant in the winter. Do not expose them to excessive sunlight during the winter. Be sure to water the tree every few days and add fertilizer every few weeks.

All of the outdoor bonsai types should be managed with the utmost care and attention, particularly during the winter season. Ensure they receive adequate protection. Youll have all sorts of outdoor types to choose from, such as the Chinese fringe flower, Chinese elm, Japanese juniper, Japanese red maple, blue moss, cypress star, cypress, and soft touch holly. Bonsai trees are gorgeous miniature trees with a sophistication and work of art all of their own.