3 Best Bonsai Trees for Beginners - Which Bonsai Tree Should I Get?
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2024
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Which bonsai? Three of the very best bonsai trees for beginners.
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Here are my three favourite bonsai trees for beginners. In this video I tell you about the species I think make the best first bonsai tree purchase. These bonsai trees are easy to find, easy to look after, and look GREAT!
All you need to do now is buy one!
Cork bark Chinese elm
Cotoneaster
Portulacaria afra.
Check the comments for more excellent suggestions for choosing a bonsai tree for beginners!
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Started doing bosai during the beginning of covid, happy to say i have two baby pines that I collected from the forrest, 7 apples i grew from seed. And 2 cherrys grabbed from my neighbors! Apple bonsais and my cherrys have been doing the best out of all of them! They grow really fast, are pretty bendable within the first year/ year and a half, of growing they survive wintertime well and bloom beautifully in the spring summer. The blossums are an eye catcher and theyll even sometimes grow fruit! But that can take years
Hi Daniel can I ask what apple trees you have grown and did you take cuttings of the cherry tree? I would love you try both of them. 🙂
no i dug the two cherry seedlings out of the ground during the spring when they were about 3 inches tall. and as for the apples. i have no clue. i just grew them from seeds i got from store bought apples.
Do they really bloom pink? That’s awesome!
@@dannyred5921 how big are the trees now
That sounds neat and and pretty unique
Chinese Elm - Ulmus Parvifolia
Cotoneaster
Portolucaria - Jade
Thanks, I neglected to write the names anywhere 🤦♂️🙏
Looking forward to the portolucaria jade video!
Great! I’ll be filming it at the weekend, might take up to two weeks to edit and upload though 😁
Thanks for the response
What about Ficus Retusa?
A few more: 1) common boxwood. 2) In North America, we have type of Holly called Yaupon that is used as shrub. It has tiny leaves, good ramification, trunk thickens quickly and is tolerant of neglect. Plus you can readily find it in garden centers. 3) Fukien Tea, just don’t let them get too dry. 4) for those wanting to try indoor, Ficus Benjaminina, in most garden stores
All good
I have a holly like that. My neighbor pulled some out with a truck last fall. I tried saving 2 but only 1 survived. It looked terrible all winter. The survivor is in a shallow plastic tote. I hope I can put it in a training pot but I'm worried about the roots. It has long thick roots but I don't know about finer roots closer to the trunk. But the foliage came back and it looks healthy. It has an interesting gnarly trunk from being decades in a yard. I'm about to move from NC to FL and I want to take it with me. Down there I'll keep ficus, jade, and other tropical trees. I recommend people start with ficus microcarpa, not benjamina. Microcarpa can survive more pruning and it back buds much more reliably. A benji with no leaves on a branch will lose the branch. That's my experience at least.
Not to mention you can use yaupon for tea
I just started my bonsai journey and the 2nd 'tree" I bought was a Bordeaux Yaupon Holly. It's small but I love it.
Thank you I am glad there are human beings like you
Aww thanks Tom that’s so
Kind
For apartment dwellers with only indoor window access ficus is without a doubt #1, and they can be grown outside in summer. Chinese elm and juniper can also be grown indoors. Elm is pretty easy, but junipers take some skill, though I have one I’ve had for 13 years under lights, that only occasionally goes outside, some summers. Nice elm in the beginning!
Gotta agree with those 3 choices. All pretty indestructible and fast growing. Can’t really beat them. Id maybe put olives in 4th place. They are fairly hardcore too 👍👍
Thanks for the recommendation 🙏
I like bonsai, I don't have much bonsai collection, by watching this video I am motivated to add to my bonsai collection
I've been in horticulture for 20 years, but just getting into bonsai. The Drake Elm is a perfect choice to start with!
Same here! Just started a weeping willow cutting and I'm planning on getting my hands on a Siberian Elm to practice on. I also have birch seedlings.
Another great vlog! Agree on the Chinese Elm comment, if I was to choose a second species it would be privet. Keep them flowing Darren!
Thanks Dan, didn’t think of privet. Cheers
I just bought another Chinese elm because I love having to constantly prune it. It's like meditation, a way to distress a bit.
And now I see that there specimen with cork bark? Wow! Guess I gotta buy one of these, too!
Definitely, very rewarding species! Thanks for watching 👍
Ficus and juniper!! Here's why. Easy to take care of, fun to style and easy to propagate.
I think a great starter trea for people is a wild olive almost impossible to kill they grow quick and leaves reduce in size in a short time, makes it easy for when your starting and forget to take care of it for a while it will still be there
Good choices. Privet is good choice as well. Fast growing, small leafs and nice flowers that smell really nice. Easy to propagate also :)
Privet, yes great suggestion!
And indestructible! I collected mine from the front yard after it got mowed several times. It was a volunteer from somewhere in the neighborhood. The ground is terrible, hard clayey suburban fill crap. I dug it up and potted it. It grew lovely branches in a couple months. Over the winter, I kept the pot covered in mulch close to the ground and the local groundhog ate all bit the trunk. The next summer, it was back to the state it was in the summer before. I neglected to water it and it became bone dry. A few leaves yellowed and dropped. I watered it once and it bounced right back. Three years and counting, it it doing great!
I have a short lifespan and won't live to be old enough for slow growing bonsai but I'd still love to be able to watch one grow with me while I have the time! I'm not terrible with plants so if there's any extremely fast growing ones you can reccomend, even if they're moderately difficult, I'd love to try!
How are you?
@@sasikanthmynampati158 I'm doing ok! How are you?
My ginseng is doing really well. It was on clearance for $7 and in tough shape but I brought it home and she's put on crazy growth in no time
hi5 mate! Jade is the one I always recommend to bonsai beginners, but in the bonsai world they are shunned all too often. I have several. Lots of fun. I might have included a cedar in that list but thats probably bc I like them so much haha. Cheers!!
Ficus ginseng microcarpa is great too! Grows very fast during the spring/summer so it’s a breeze to prune.
Bonsai is a great idea for quarantine time!!!
Absolutely, such a calm, rewarding hobby 🙏
nice suggestions...i started my journey with a Juniper, and completely killed it with one month...i was actually looking to try again with a Chinese Elm...
Love this video. Thank you! I've not been successful on my first two attempts. But now I really want to do it again given your suggestions
Glad it was helpful!
Your videos are looking really good. I was walking on the treadmill this morning thinking Bonsai and enjoyed your videos. keep up the great work.
Just starting. Thank you for the video. Really enjoyed it. Beautiful trees 🌳 😍
Happy to help, enjoy the ride 🙂
Trailing boxwood. With no prior experience I made an overgrown shrub into a world class bonsai in 1 day.
i am thinking of getting a bonsai. thank you for this informative and very helpful video. you have made it easier for me to decide to, and which bosai to get. will definately keep tuning in for tips and tricks for care. thanks
I think Ficus is a excellent bonsai for beginners. Very low maintenance, and it goes indoors or outdoors.
Ficus is being mentioned a lot, I think I should have added it in! Thanks
I'm new to this, but your "hardest to find" is actually easiest for me.
That’s great! Thanks for watching
6:55 Some people in the UK may also know these as "Money Trees" they really dont like a lot of water and its easy to over water them... I would have said a ficus is much easier to look after. I've not heard of a Cotoneaster before so thanks for that... sounds like a very interesting choice for bonzai.
Cotoneaster horizontalis (Rockspray Cotoneaster) makes an excellent bonsai styled in all forms except formal upright. I have about 8 - 10 of them none over 4.5" tall. I grew them as minature trees on the upturned top of my water barrel. The trees are about thirty years old now. BTW they looked pretty at a couple or three years old.
Spring - Clothed in light green leaves turning darker as summer aproaches, also festooned in pink/white flowers (bees love em). Summer - Clothed in a dark green foliage and green berries appear. Autumn/Fall - Her gown now turns a magnificent scarlet and her berries match (Blackbirds love em too). Winter - She stands naked with only her berries remaining to cover her dignity (At least the ones the birds didn't get).
I also have a 30 year old Cotonearter horizontalis styled as a semi cascade which stands at about 8 - 9" high and about 12" wide from the trunk to the branch tip.
My other bonsai are various Japanese maples, various Pines, Junipers. A Horse chestnut. Privets. Larches and Ficus'. Ranging in height from 3 inches to 18 inches, 3 feet (Pines and Larch) to 6 feet in its pot (Japanese Maple orange dream).
Thanks for this. I was unsure of bonsai but this was motivating.
Boxwood is one of my favs for easy starters! Jades as well. Fukien tea and umbrella (Schefflera) are fun too! Although Fukien Tea seem to be very temperamental so may not be the best for beginners.
I bought. Juniper. I could use some advise on this little tree
My first two were Fig trees(Ficus Microcarpa and Ficus Retusa). I still have them and after I almost killed them a year ago, now they are absolutely gorgeous. The fig trees are really forgiving and ideal for beginers.
Spekboom is nearly everywhere in South Africa. Easy to propagate from cuttings, the leaves taste like Shiraz grapes and are also used to brew gin.
Just bought a cutting of dwarf jade looking forward to it.
Excellent video Darren, I agree with your top 3, I might add Zelkova Serrata as fourth to the list, they are like the big brother of the Chinese elm, but they have an additional feature of the beautiful autumn colours before leaf fall.
Good shout 👍
If you’re in the us you can get dwarf jade as a hanging plant at all the big box stores. Just picked one up for $10 at Walmart and it’s probably 20+ cuttings well rooted in one container. So have your pick and you have 19+ others to play around with for $10. They grow fast and if you want more just plant the tops you cut off!
thanks for the tips! I'm in Arizona, which is hot and dry, and I was wondering which species would do well outdoors here. I happen to have elephant bush growing right outside my door! I'll definitely look into propagating it!
juniper trees would probably do great
even the small fly loves it! ;-]
Thank you! Very informative and easy to to understand.
Im a beginner my bonsai tree are bougainvilleas.. ill watch your videos! Watching from philippines
Thanks for writing, I don’t have any bougainvillea but they are beautiful
Gro Bonsai im a beginner.. what orther term for that plant? i have only bougainvillea for my starter in keeping bonsai.. thats why my watching different bonsai videos to learn more about bonsai😁😁 thank you for replying in my comment
I’m not sure of other terms for bougainvillea. Thanks 🙏
Yup Elm confirmed !!! this tree is realy good for first adventure with bonsai!
Yes indeed!
I recommend Ficus sp as well, as it it difficult to kill, and can be bent into shape without lots of wiring. I have Ficus natalensis from Africa.
Ulmus sp aka Chinese elm is very forgiving too.
and my third favorite easy tree is Erythrina lysistemon , the Transvall Coral tree, from Southern Africa.
Another easy tree is Olea europea subsp africana, the Wild olive tree.
Thanks for sharing those, very helpful
Fukien tea tree is amazing for beginners.
Great video Darren 😊
Perfect
Thankyou my friend
:-)
BE THE TRUTH thanks for watching
Cotoneaster is a good beginner one. Cascade or semi cascade are best . Fukian Tea is also an easy one but Nana Juniper's are the best 😎
Very good! I like all three. Thank you for sharing. 👍
Olea europea sylvestre, ficus (any of them), japanese black pine (maybe the easiest pine).
Wow I love mini trees so cute.
Me too!!
Great channel. Love your style. Question: what do you know about Mimosa bonsai? I'm trying to grow one. Thanks
Thank you for the information. Do you recommend bougainvillea bonsai for beginners?
Funny enough I have a jade sitting in my yard right now. Will be using that to tart bonsai. Here in Florida we have tons of jades.
That is awesome! I'm so envious
I'm from the tropics so I like different ficus species, jade, and shefflera for beginners in warm places.
Juniper trees are great bonsai starter projects
I just got my first juniper and I’m super nervous to take care of it, I have a deck that’s south/southeast facing and I am scared that I’m going to kill it. It’s a 4IN bonsai tree and I am scared to keep it outside because I didn’t know I was supposed to tie it to the pot with wire and I don’t want the wind to kill it. Please help 😭
Great video. That was super helpful. Thank you
I find the field maple is bullet-proof.. also this summer I’m working with the wild cherry..
Very tough, but not easy due to the coarseness, but definitely a great species. What is the botanical name of the wild cherry? Is it P. avium?
Yes it is p, avium
A beautiful tree and easy to start in the bonsai world is the Ficus easy to care for and it does very well inside
Yes, thanks
Beautifull bonsai tree
Great video! Which of the first two do you believe would be best for indoors only (not too much sun available). Thanks!
I just got a Japanese Maple bonsai so I hope it turns out well
Thank you for tips. Juniper is also a good bonsai to start with
No there not. They have to get cold in the winter without freezing them.
@@waterlife5708 maybe you're right, we don't have winter here in my country. so far my bonsai is just maintained really good. I will move to a four season country soon maybe I will watch out. Thanks mate
Here in SA the Jade is a local..... You can get them everywhere, priced less than a cup of coffee. Current exchange rate...... Two small plants 10cm for a pound...... Nearly every child grows one from a cutting at some stage for school project or just for fun.... spekboom by the way = bacon tree......
Jeez, I don’t think we could even get a native plant for one pound, not to mention two!
Nice I love them and thanks for telling us about the view and use in the homeland :)
chinese wisteria is aaammmaaazzziiinnngggg
Thanks, sorry for the late reply!
I have to agree that jade is really easy. I have one and I forgot to water it for like two months. It is still alive. I'm going to re-pot it hydroponically.
Ficus of several species, Schefflera, Brazilian Rain Tree, Premna, and Bougainvillea are a few other great, easy species and I've had success growing all these completely indoors with a large window and simple LED shop light with no problems in a very northern climate.
Very interesting to hear of your success, thanks
I grew Chinese elm from seed!!
Let's goooo!
I am a complete beginner and want to grow my first bonsai. However, I dont want to buy an existing tree from those bonsai retailers / sellers.
I am based in the UK. Are there any garden centres where I can go (for example, Homebase) where I can pick up common bonsai material?
Firstly, it's nice to support the bonsai growers, especially the smaller ones.
Material can be found at pretty much and garden centre, the quality will vary and you will need to buy a pot/wire too if using them
I have just got my first bonsai and it is a redbud any tips or tricks for this kind of tree, I have just planted my seeds
Hi! I really want to succeed with a bonsai and I have failed a lot of times (the trees has died). And I have now ordered an elephant bush. But I wonder if you could explain about what bonsai soil I should use and how often you shall repot the plant. I want to have a maple tree. But how do I succeed?
The 2nd one you showed, with the berries. Are they poisonous to animals if eaten?
Birds eat them, but cats and dogs mustn’t. You can remove them. And my dog isn’t interested. But probably best to play it safe if you’re concerned
It's a good video for beginners like me. I have just started Bonsai a month back with a Jade
Great to hear! Thanks for writing and good luck with your Jade
great advices, good explained. thanks
Thanks so much for supporting the channel
“Hi I’m Darren!” Starts the intro half way through. Thanks, that caught me off guard and made me laugh. ☺️
hehe making youtube videos is a constant experiment :)
Love this , keep it up bro !
Appreciate it!! Thanks bro
Hello Darren. Did I get the name right? I'll have to watch again. Three great trees for beginners! A group of Minnesota Bonsai Society members and I recently got together to discuss the Ports. We had a blast and I am loving my small trees. I can't wait till I have one more like the size of yours. How long have you had it? Great episode!
You got the name right. I’ve had that one just over a year, it was grown at Graham Potters nursery - Kaizen Bonsai. It’s been a bumpy few months for that tree, we had some issues and spider mites, but it’s bouncing back now. Thanks and take care
love your videos
I have a portulacaria and live in Singapore so i have no winter and a hot sun everyday yay
I'm very envious!
very useful info for me who is still a beginner. Thank you very much❤️
Thanks for watching
Great videos 👍
i killed all my chinese elms in my beginnings of the bonsai journey xD you aren't ficus fan, are you? :D my no. 1 beginners (non hardy) tree is ficus natalensis. unfortunately not everyone is able to effort it, but they are immortal :D all figs are probably good, but natalensis is waaaaay more indestructible
Eternity hi, I don’t have any ficus due to lack of space for over winter. Thanks for writing
Hi there! I'm looking into getting a Bonsai tree. I don't mind growing my own or buying an already grown bonsai. Where would you recommend buying one from? I am also based in the UK.
The three I prefer and recommend is www.bonsai.co.uk and www.kaizenbonsai.com and www.shokabonsai.com The last one is a small independent nursery, so he doesn’t always have lots of choice, but there’s often a bargain
I got a Juniper chinensis (still seeds now) as a beginner kol, i’m planting in fall
Hey great vid. Where did you get your cork bark Chinese elm from and how much? I’m trying to find specifically a cork bark (albeit maybe a bit smaller) but can’t seem to find one in the UK. Cheers.
Hi I have a few but they are not in bonsai pots. They could be repotted in Spring 2023
Would you be able to recommend an indoor species that would thrive in Nordic light conditions? We don’t get any sunlight for 3 months and no nights for the summer season. I’d like to grow something interesting that will inspire my son to get his hands dirty.
That will be challenging. I think English ivy will work but they aren’t commercially produced. Otherwise you will be looking at supplemental light, or a species that goes dormant but they need to be outdoors. Have you considered terrariums? My friend Ben at Worcester Terrariums has plenty of great info to get started and the plants are all low light
Hi, I stumbled down the rabbit hole of bonsai. Stumbled across this video and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m looking at getting a Juniper this fall from a local nursery (prebonsai). Any advice? Should I wait until spring? Do I trim when I buy? Do I wait? I’m lost
You’re not alone haha
Check out herons bonsai
Japanese Holly Ilex Flowering Bonsai Tree Broom Style Mini what about this one i was thinking to buy one but i know some species of bonsai they very sensitive thank you Sharing
I bid on top-tier and I I now have 2 mini weeping willow bonsai 1 which is already in water and in need of being put in soil of which I still do not have and 10 seeds of a Japanese cherry tree to grow but I don't know what kind of bonsai soil to buy or how much I need to buy! Can you help me please I'm desperate and I have never grown a bonsai before so I'm a newbie LOL
I suppose everything depends on where you live. I live in Costa Rica, but in the mountains (about 6500 ft above sea level), here, cotoneaster is pretty much impossible to find, Chinese elms are few, far between and in the very expensive side. Portulacarias are easy to find, but I have never worked with them.
For me, my picks of easy species to work:
1. Ficus microcarpa, or almost any Ficus species.
2. Ligustrum vulgare
3. Syzygium paniculata
4. Duranta erecta
Locally, but at least 1500 ft below me:
1. Bougainvillea spectabilis
2. Citrus (many species)
3. Jabuticabas
Great point and great list, thanks
How no where cut it and what is the name of tree is best for beginners juct got my first one thanks video
Present Sir. We are bonsainer from Indonesia. Best Regard From Us. 🙏🙏🙏
Hi from the UK!
In South Africa spekboom is indigenous and grows everywhere. It is also known as a plant that helps remove carbon dioxide from the air. The leaves are edible.
My mini jade is shrivelling up for some reason and I have no idea why. All I did was change the soil because it fell victim to fungus gnats. I think i shocked it, but it doesn't seem to be recovering :( Any advice for how to save it???
Crabapples and ginkgos are quite tough and fairly easy to keep, too. :)
Do you have a Ginkgo Bonsai?
I have a small Ginkgo tree but not sure how easy or hard it is to groom them
@@marietta8807 I do, yes, two even: one single trunk, very stubby that one, and one multi-trunk, a bit in a flame like shape. They are easy to keep and maintain. They haven't survived millions of years by being picky about their environment. After new shoots have formed in spring, eventually they slow down growing late spring/early summer. You can prune those shoot back to two or three leaves, with the last leaf pointing in the direction where you want the branch to grow to next season. :)
@@Tiger313NL well the problem is mine is growing like a palm tree. So very straight and only 4 to 6 leaves on top... I wouldn't even know where to cut it to be honest!
@@marietta8807 Is it a young tree? Does it not have any branches yet?
@@Tiger313NL 4 or 5 years I think. No it does not have any branches. Basically looks like a palm
First timer here. I've just received a bonsai tree starter box as a gift. It contains, Red Leaf Maple, Japanese Cedar, Italian Cypress, Judy's Tree, Dwarf Mountain Pine and Chinese Wisteria.
Any tips for these species? I live in UK, and have a West facing garden with lots of sun through the afternoon
I assume these are seeds to grow. Without being rude, raising trees from seed is cultivation rather than bonsai. There are bonsai cultivators who chop the tap root early and do seedling cuttings to get better root spread but I would suggest buying a small elm for £€$10-30 and practicing with that
Which ones can i let indoors all the year? I dont have a garden, just one window :(
Im building my growlight area. Can someone tell me which ones i can care indoors?
I appreciate every answer :D
I’ve got a Japanese black pine, I bought it today and it’s about 1 years old. It is very loose in the soil and are sort of tilted to the side. I feel like the roots aren’t very sting Have u got any tips for me? Thanks and great video
At that age they can be a bit floppy, it’s best to let it establish itself. When it’s firmed up and grown a little more, you may choose to use some wire to put some bends into the trunk. Cobra Kai fan?
@@grobonsai thanks for that. Yeah I am a cobra Kai fan
ficus are easy and fun to work on
Thanks for the tip, I really need to get a ficus to play with
Great video, thank you
I have Korean Lilac cuttings and willow cuttings as well what is the best type of planter and which bonsai soil mix for each I realize the willow needs to retain more moister this is my first....
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