Discover the Different Bonsai Types

The word bonsai, pronounced as bone-sigh, means tray tree, bon is tray, while sai means tree. There are many bonsai types and one is probably perfect for you. The longer the life of a bonsai tree, the greater its value.

All bonsais have varying styles, some are informal upright while others are upright cascade, semi-cascade, literati and raft. Also ranging in size, between miniature to small and medium to average, they can have small fruit or small flowers. There are really only two types of bonsai trees, indoor or outdoor. Doing research on both types will help you to have a healthy tree for a long time.

The tropical and sub tropical trees are the easiest bonsais to grow indoors and require to be cared for only as much as any house plant. It will be a good idea for absolute beginners to choose one of these for a bonsai, as it will give a good result with less effort. They respond best if they get the morning sun and afternoon shade. Some trees survive the sun all day ,but it is best to know and carefully watch how your bonsai is growing in its location. The bonsai can be moved outdoors in late spring bordering on summer but should be brought back indoors when temperatures drop below 55 degrees.

There are many trees which can be trained into artistic looking bonsais, for a beginner some of the suitable bonsai types include baby jade, Hawaiian umbrella and ficus. Some indoor bonsai trees are serissa, sago palms, fukein tea aralias, brush cherry, money tree, schefflera gardenias, bougainvillia and elms. These too can be adapted to homes. The out door variety of bonsai trees have two species, these are evergreen trees and deciduous trees. Some names in the former category are pine and junipers . Elms maples and ginko are the deciduous types.

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.

When winter comes all bonsai types need a lot of extra attention, that a careful protection from the cold. If you want to acquire an outdoor Bonsai you can choose from a wide variety: Chinese fringe flower and elm, Japanese juniper and red maple, blue moss, cypress star and soft touch golly. Bonsais are small-scale trees with an unique design and look.

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