Almost any type of shrub or tree will be suitable for bonsai. Once you’re ready to grow your first tree you should pick out a species that is forgiving to the beginner. There are some species more suitable then other for the beginner.

Elm Bonsai Trees

The elm family is a group of trees that will forgive you nearly anything, are easy to obtain and will grow in a range of soils, with species native to most of the Northern hemisphere.

Cedar elms are a wonderful species option for bonsai and like most elms, can survive rather a bit of disregard. One of its desired features is its rough, fissured barque. Most specimens are gathered from the wild and will invariably have an aged appearing. The branches ramify easily with normal pinching of shoots and the leaves are not too large. This species is a good one for beginners and collecting them is rather easy as well.

These trees will do well in almost any type of soil. Their natural environment is rather hot and arid and they do well to being kept on the dry side of moist. Like most trees, they use more water in the spring. They can be kept in full sun to dappled sun. They’ve an interesting habit when they’re having overmuch sun. They’ll rotate their leaves to be edge-up, so as to limit the exposure of the leaves to the sun’s rays. If they get overmuch sun, they tend to go a bit yellow.

Zelcova and Chinese Elm are the two species you’re likely to come across on a supplier’s benches. Both are excellent trees although the Chinese Elm is generally not as hardy when there is frost about, but try what grows in your area as all elms are able of making good bonsai.

The Chinese Elm is a very easy tree to develop. Deciduous in moderate areas, it may retain its leaves in tropical and sub tropical regions. The Chinese elm is many times sold as an indoor tree, but this is wrong. This tree can be both and indoor and outdoor bonsai. Chinese elm are really good plants to pick out for beginners at bonsai, with a predictable growth pattern and being quite forgiving when pruned.

The barque of Chinese elms can be rather interesting, some varieties have rough, cork-like bark which cracks and becomes deeply fissured with age that will adding character to the bonsai. Other trees come with smooth bark on the other hand. Generally, the smoother bark forms will be less hardy than those with rough bark and need more care. Being quite various plants, they can be kept in a position of shade to full sun, but be sure that the plant finds some shade during the summer months and does not dry out.

This type of tree is one that can be grown from seed. But keep in mind growing from seed will not produce immediate results. Elms are easy to propagate. The seed sprouts readily should you wish to try developing them this way; however cuttings and layering are the best methods to increase your stock. Elms react well to leaf trimming, and on a vigorous tree this may be executed twice in one season, but not every year.

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