How to choose a Bonsai (for Indoor)

Bonsai can be a wonderful gift with the symbolic meaning of harmony and balance. It can also be the centerpiece of a bright spot at your home.  Here are some tips to help you pick the perfect bonsai! (Photos were taken in our store)

1. Ficus Bonsai:

Ficus bonsai is relatively Beginner Friendly. It requires consistent watering and sufficient sunlight, but it is slightly more tolerant to dryness and darker spots in comparison to other types of bonsai.

As an easy care bonsai with an elegant shape, Ficus is among the most popular bonsai for gifts. 

Many medium or larger sized Ficus Bonsai trees can produce aerial roots in their natural habitat, and the beautiful aerial root shape like pillars hanging down from the branches to the soil.

 

 

Ficus likes to have relatively higher humidity, but they can endure low humidity due to their thick, waxy leaves. In order to create aerial roots, high humidity is required. 

Ficus bonsai can be placed outdoors during the warmer months, but they should be placed indoor only in a bright spot during the colder months.

2. Carmona Bonsai: 

 

Carmona bonsai is also known as the "Fukien tea" tree.

With adorable white flowers almost all year round, Carmona makes a a perfect gift for all occasions. 

Carmona bonsai like to have a bright spot near the window, and the soil should be kept moist but not overly soggy.

The Carmona bonsai handles pruning very well, and regular trimming can help the tree grow dense branch structures. Young branches of the Carmona bonsai are tender and flexible, and they are easy to trim or wire. 

 

 

 

 

3. Chinese Pepper Tree (Xanthoxylum piperitum):

 

Chinese Pepper Tree has lively shiny leaves with a fresh smell. 

The Chinese Pepper is also called Sichuan pepper and it is commonly found in many Asian countries. From the fruits of the Chinese Pepper, a hot spice can be made, which creates a pleasant numbing sensation on your tongue. It is not related to the real black pepper, and it is a dioecious plant with male and female specimen. 

The Chinese Pepper tree is fast growing, and can potentially consume a lot of water in the warmer months. Make sure to obverse the soil closely in the summer and increase the frequency of watering.

Keep your Chinese Pepper tree indoor near a bright window to facilitate growth. It can potentially be placed outdoor in the warmer months. 

4. Ligustrum Bonsai (Privet Bonsai): 

Ligustrum is a strong Bonsai specie that can grow in almost any kind of soil and take trimming very well. 

Ligustrum is a great tree for beginners to start with wiring and shaping, since it is tolerant to all types of styling. 

There are many different types of Ligustrum, and in nature they are often small trees of shrubs. 

Ligustrum might consume more water in the summer months when there is very bright sunlight. Therefore it is very essential to observe your ligustrum during these months and water it thoroughly as soon as the soil gets dry.

 

 

 

5. Jade Bonsai (Portulacaria): 

Unlike the other bonsai, jade bonsai is very tolerate to dryness and should only be watered once the soil is dry out.

Originally from the dry regions of South Africa, the jade bonsai has a thick trunk, but a fine branch structure with thick green oval-shaped succulent leaves.

Jade bonsai likes to be placed in a very bright spot indoor, and full sun is preferred. 

 In the fall, sometimes the jade bonsai produces small white flowers, if it has endured some drought periods during the growing season.