Beautiful home and garden bonsai plants

Flowering plants and shrubs can make exceptional examples of bonsai. Although not as prevalent as their conifer brothers, these plants can be trained in the same manner. The limb and root training techniques are used to control and miniaturize some of the most wild of growers such as the Firethorn Pyracantha as shown on the right (courtesy of Bonsai Boy of New York). These types of plant and shrubs can exhibit the beautiful detail that encompasses the art of bonsai. This includes many common indoor plants and tropical plants that have a root system and trunk structure that can be manipulated in the bonsai tradition. Even succulents such as the jade plant are being used and can be trained to take-on a surreal treelike appearance.

When one thinks of bonsai the almost universal picture that comes to mind is the juniper or a miniature Japanese maple. The art of bonsai may in fact have grown in popularity due to a break from tradition with the inclusion of many new types of plants. Today bonsai hobbyists are trying the age-old techniques on their favorite species and with spectacular results. These people are proud to exhibit their art in their home and garden with the same exuberance that is shown in the famous bonsai gardens of the world.

Albeit not all plants, shrubs and succulents can withstand the rigors of bonsai. Some are just not suited for the root and limb training that is required. Obviously annuals and bulbs that loose their entire foliage during a plant growth cycle cannot maintain the structure and design elements that bonsai entails. Yet even these plants can be incorporated in the bonsai garden as ground covers or accents to the bonsai centerpiece. It is indeed a philosophy of all that grows.

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