Bonsai, developed by the Japanese more than a thousand years ago, is derived from the Chinese practice of growing miniature plants.

A bonsai is not a genetically dwarfed plant, and one can turn almost any tree or shrub into a bonsai by skilled seasonal trimming of new growth, periodic root pruning and repotting. Training bonsai is an ongoing process.

Species which are used more commonly for bonsai and that adapt quite well are evergreens such as Pine, Cypress, Camellia, Azalea, Pomegranate, Holly, Serissa, Fig and Cedar, and deciduous trees such as Cherry, Maple, Zelkova and Beech.

Bonsai trees mature in 3 to 10 years (from seeds or cuttings) depending in their intended size, and properly maintained bonsai trees can have life spans of their full-sized counterparts. However, most bonsai must live outdoors in the same elements as their gigantic siblings.

The Internet Bonsai Club

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