When making the decision to make a bonsai , we must take into account the species that we want to work with, since not all trees or shrubs are suitable to become a work of art. That is why to make your task easier, I am going to give you a list of species suitable for bonsai.
In addition, I will also tell you about its rusticity , so that you do not have to worry about winter, because it is true that we have just left it behind…, but you have to bear in mind that a bonsai needs care all year round.
evergreen and deciduous
I am going to start with the tree species themselves, that is, with those of the angiosperm family (flowering plants). They are the most recommended for novices, since their root system can be worked on without much difficulty . Of course, important, that they have small leaves. A tree that has large leaves can also work, but requires more control in the fertilizers. If you are a beginner, the ideal is to start off on the right foot with a resistant species with reduced leaves, such as these:
Evergreen
- Pistacea sp – resistant to -4 degrees
- Carmona sp – 0 degrees
- Delonix regia (behaves as semi-deciduous in slightly cool climates, but is considered perennial since in habitat it does not lose its leaves in autumn) – sensitive to cold, down to -1 degree whenever it is for a short time
- Callistemon sp – resistant to -4 degrees
- Acacia dealbata – down to -6 degrees
And many others.
Fallen Leaf
- Acer sp – very rustic, with an average of -8 degrees.
- Quercus sp – just like maples, they can also withstand very cold, with intense frosts down to -8 or -10 degrees
- Fagus sylvatica – down to -7 degrees
- Populus sp – rustic down to -10 degrees
- Prunus sp – depending on the species, they withstand between 4 and 6 degrees below zero
Among many others.
conifers
This is a smaller group, but it requires intermediate-advanced level care, since they have a very delicate root system due to mycorrhizae (special fungi that provide them with nutrients from the soil). In general, all conifers are suitable for bonsai , but perhaps native species or those that we see much more frequently in nurseries are more appropriate. For example:
- Pinus halepensis
- pine nigra
- Pinus sylvestris
- Cedrus sp (all)
- Juniperus sp (all)
- Taxus baccata
Conifers are more or less just as rustic. Perhaps the one that is most sensitive to cold is, we could say, Pinus halepensis, since it can withstand light frosts of up to 3 or 4 fours below zero and as long as they are very short. But for the rest, they are plants that for the most part do not fear the cold, quite the contrary since they withstand intense frosts of about ten degrees below zero .
