Bonsai Today

Online magazine for Bonsai lovers

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Tree guide

Pinus sylvestris

In the wild, a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) matures naturally into the same style as a bonsai literati with branches spreading horizontally below its flattened apex.

Kusamono

It’s a Hit…

As an accent plant the Hitotsuba genus (Pyrrosia var.) is a favourite.


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Shohin

Would you dare?

Chojubai, the dwarf variety of the Japanese quince, is cut in half.


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Tree guide

Vitex rotundifolia

Jerome Kellerhals has his bonsai garden in sunny Florida, where he mainly works on semi-tropicals. This time he explains the virtues of the Vitex rotundifolia, which has many varieties. The Vitex rotundifolia contains about 60 species, tropical and subtropical. The Vitex featured in this article is the Rotundifolia, the round…...


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Tree guide

Pyrus pyrifolia

How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion The pear A large deciduous tree in the pear genus of the Rosaceae family. It is found…...


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Tree guide

Hibiscus

Jerome Kellerhals has his bonsai garden in sunny Florida USA, where he mainly works on semi-tropicals. This time he talks about the many virtues of the sea hibiscus acquired from a special friend. This old-world tropical tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) is a member of the mallow family. It has heart-shaped leaves

Masterclass

Can it be opened ?

Untangling the dense foliage canopy of a sabina juniper Valentin Brose, former apprentice of Kunio Kobayashi, is a refined artist. The sabina juniper has such a dense canopy that all is hidden away from the eye. Valentin knows what is needed to open it up and show off its qualities…...


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Tree guide

Larix

This is a tree whose beauty is legendary, yet it suffers from some neglect as bonsai. There are many species of larch to choose from and available in Europe are Larix decidua, the European larch; L. kaempferi, syn. L. leptolepis, the Japanese larch and L. Eurolepis, the Dunkeld larch: a

Tree guide

Crataegus

An interesting plant that is either a spreading tree or large shrub. The wild tree has white flowers and red fruit. The distribution is vast spreading from America in the west, through Europe and on to Asia. The Hawthorn has a striking appearance as an old tree and is often

Tree guide

Pithecellobium

Styling and caring a Brazilian raintree Jerome Kellerhals has his bonsai garden in sunny Florida, where he mainly works on semi-tropicals. Here he talks about a special tree he grew from scratch, the Brazilian raintree. The Chloroleucon tortum, is often referred to as Pithecellobium tortum, commonly known as the Brazilian…...


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Tree guide

Potentilla

Potentilla, a plant that is often overlooked as a ‘serious’ Bonsai because of its shrubby nature. It does however have excellent characteristics for Bonsai, with its interesting bark and fresh yellow flowers. SPECIES Common Name: Cinquefoil Genus: Potentilla Higher Taxon: Rosaceae Species: Fruticosa Skill Level: beginner to advanced Soil Type:

Tree guide

Pinus parviflora

This is one of the most popular of the Asian pines for bonsai work and garden use. The two species of the white pine commonly seen as imported bonsai in the west are: Pinus Parviflora var. ‘Negishi’, with its very blue leaves and P. Parviflora var. ‘Zuisho’, which has very

Tree guide

Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster is a familiar plant, which can be found in almost every garden. It has all the plus points: small leaves, tiny flowers and berries, and it grows quite rapidly compared with other species. When the leaves drop in the autumn they colour brightly from yellow to copper red. SPECIES

Tree guide

Zelkova

JAPANESE ELM Being a rapid and very vigorous grower makes it possible to have quick results with Zelkova. The downside is that the elm can overgrow very quickly and so it needs regular pruning and re-styling to stay in shape. SPECIES Common name: Elm Genus: Zelkova Higher taxon: Ulmaceae Species:

Tree guide

Picea glehnii

How to create a twin trunk style tree with a ‘Yatsubusa’ ezo spruce, Picea glehnii ‘Yatsubusa’. In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material

Tree guide

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba.
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch,