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Although some plants may be grown both indoors and outdoors, there  are quite a few plants that are positively labeled as indoor bonsai plants. In this second guide I am going to go over several of the most frequently used plants for indoor bonsai, and will offer you some ideas on how to choose the highest quality plant material for your bonsai undertaking.

You have a great deal of alternatives as to where you will obtain your plants for your bonsai work. Specialized bonsai plant centers, and where they only grow and sell bonsai plants and trees, is the very best spot to obtain top quality plants and trees. If you don’t want to start from scratch with your bonsai tree you can still purchase a plant that is already established as a bonsai. This will be somewhat expensive however. Garden centers may well also be a great location to obtain a bonsai however, you might not be able to get a hold of the same information regarding planting mix, etc.

You can also convert young healthy houseplants into bonsai. This is usually a much less expensive approach to get started in the hobby, and would be a little less painful in case you lose the plant. Don’t enhance the likelihood of killing your first bonsai plants by buying from the bargain table. These plants are typically unhealthy and will lower your odds of long-term success.

Be sure that the foliage on any plants that you are considering buying are bright green and healthy looking, and that there are no symptoms of damage from insects or disease. If you’re purchasing early in the year, a healthy plant will have new buds with firm young shoots. A plant that was not well cared for and not been provided enough water may have dried up buds on it. Examine the trunks and branches and make certain they appear healthy and strong. If you become acquainted with the many different styles of bonsai before you go to the nursery you will be able to choose plants that are perfect for the style that you might want to create.

I’ve compiled a list of plants that are great as indoor bonsai and are also a good choice for the beginner bonsai grower:

Java Fig (Ficus benjamina) Available as an established bonsai or as a houseplant to be modified. The java fig will stay green all year round. Some styles that can be considered for this plant are cascade and semi-cascade, informal upright, broom, and slanting.

Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) You can buy this as a houseplant and train it as a bonsai yourself, or it is widely available as an established bonsai. The Chinese elm is a hardy plant, but is commonly grown indoors, and when grown indoors it will stay gree all year long.

Chinese Box (Murraya paniculata) You can buy this as a houseplant and train it as a bonsai yourself, or it is widely available as an established bonsai. This is a beautiful indoor bonsai. It has fragrant flowers that appear throughout the year.

California Juniper (Juniperus californica) You can buy this as an established bonsai or you can buy it at a garden center and modify it into a bonsai. Juniperus californica is a favorite for an indoor bonsai, and is a great plant for the novice bonsai grower. The California juniper can be easily trained as a cascade, semi-cascade, informal upright, and a slanting bonsai.

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) You can buy this as an established bonsai or you can buy it as a young houseplant and modify it into a bonsai. This plant is commonly seen as an ordinary houseplant but it does very well when trained as a bonsai. The Jade Plant shows best when trained in the slanting, informal upright, or broom styles.

This list hardly scratches the surface as far as being a comprehensive list of plants and trees that can make beautiful indoor bonsai. As your skills as a bonsai grower improve you will be able to add many new speciaes and varieties to your bonsai collection.

Resource

Japanese bonsai gardening is a hobby that is fascinating, affordable, and easy to get involved in. Bonsai can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and can last a lifetime. Click this link to learn more about growing your very own indoor bonsai tree, and sign up for your FREE 7-part introductory mini-course on how to grow miniature bonsai trees. Or, to get started growing your own bonsai trees trees right away check out the highly regarded “how-to” bonsai book “Beautiful Bonsai Secrets”.