Some people believe Bonsai trees are a particular species, but any kinds of plants, shrubs or trees can be grown using Bonsai growing techniques. Bonsai is an Oriental-based art form that involves miniaturizing any species, but trees and shrubs are favorite choices. Various types of Bonsai trees may include elms, oaks, maples and cedars or pines, and junipers are interesting when miniaturized.
Growing Bonsai trees started as a Japanese art, but it spread to the Chinese, making these two countries some of the largest exporters of Bonsai soil, planters and tools. There really aren’t many secrets to be learned, because growing various types of Bonsai trees has become popular, throughout the world. The key is properly pruning, training branches and of course confining roots is important, to miniaturizing any species.
You can select fruit bearing trees, like a lemon tree or a flowering shrub, such as an azalea. They will still produce flowers and fruit, once they have matured, but they will be miniature in size, when using these growing techniques, properly. Some people choose to start a Bonsai orange tree or grapefruit tree, from seeds of their store-bought fruits. Since a Bonsai tree can grow for 100 years, you may find these trees will flower, bear fruit and dropped seeds may start an offspring of your flowering or fruit bearing Bonsai tree.
It isn’t unusual to find Gingko, Fichus, Jade, Mimosa or other types of ornamental species and Oriental miniature species are used in Bonsai gardening. Since this artistically expressive method of growing and training miniature trees has been practiced for centuries in Asian cultures, it is not unusual to find Chinese Elms, Japanese Maples or Bamboo. Traditional Japanese plantings included plum, cherry and pine trees.
