Posts categorised: General Interest

Stewartia as bonsai

Stewartia trees are part of the Theaceae family alongside Camellia and have beautiful flowers; usually white with a mass of golden stamens that bloom in early summer and the flowers are bisexual. They are renowned for their decorative bark that flakes with age and leaves a mottled pattern on the trunk.

Two needle pines

Some of the two needle pines are commonly used as bonsai and include Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Japanese Red Pine (Pinus densiflora), Mountain Pine (Pinus mugo) and Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii). They all have unique and distinct differences in their form and foliage making for quite dramatic and impressive bonsai trees in their own rights.

Types of Pines

The Pine family (Pinaceae) is quite extensive with a range of species and genera including Abies, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Larix, Picea, Pinus, Pseudolarix, Pseudotsuga and Tsuga. Pines are softwood trees and are classified into groups dependent on the number of needles they have.

Japanese White Beech Bonsai

This is a stunning species of tree, the gorgeous white bark of the Japanese White Beech (Fagus crenate) is one of the fabulous facets of this tree.  It belongs to the Fagaecea family of Beeches and the most common native Fagus sylvatica can be widely seen throughout the British Isles as a majestic tree in… Read more »

Hawthorn as Bonsai

Hawthorns belong to the Roseacea family and are a hardy set of thorns, which are highly adaptable and thrive in a variety of locations. They are tolerant of wet and dry conditions and can be pruned hard to encourage new growth.

Bonsai tree wounds

When you wound a bonsai tree through the removal of a branch you create a wound. Depending on where you prune the branch back to will depend on what type of response the tree will have to the wound created. Some wounds will seal over completely, while others will remain with a hole or cavity… Read more »

Reaction wood

Many bonsai artists are looking to develop their trees and in order to do this, they need to manipulate where branches are located and this can be difficult on larger thicker branches and advanced bonsai material. There are certain biological elements of the tree though that will make the bending of branches harder and  one… Read more »

Sexual expression of bonsai trees

The sexual expression of flowering plants is an interesting one, and often I am caught referring to a tree as a him or her and in some cases this is correct as there are distinct male and female trees for some species but also there are a few variations to consider.

Bonsai tree tropisms

A few explanations for why trees grow the way they do… and how this can be good to know when developing your bonsai tree’s…