Products

Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly called American sweetgum, sweetgum, sweet gum, sweet-gum  is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America. Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern United States, and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. It is recognizable by the combination of its five-pointed star-shaped leaves and its hard, spiked fruits.  Liquidambar styraciflua is a medium-sized to large tree, growing anywhere from 10–15 m in cultivation and up to 46 m in the wild. It is also a popular choice for bonsai artists.

Pyracantha is a genus of thorny evergreen large shrubs in the family Rosaceae, with common names firethorn or pyracantha. They are native to an area extending from Southeast Europe east to Southeast Asia, resemble and are related to Cotoneaster, but have serrated leaf margins and numerous thorns (Cotoneaster is thornless).The plants reach up to 6 m (20 ft) tall. The flowers are produced during late spring and early summer; the pomes develop from late summer, and mature in late autumn. Pyracanthas are valuable ornamental plants, grown in gardens for their decorative flowers and fruit, often very densely borne. Their dense thorny structure makes them particularly valued in situations where an impenetrable barrier is required. The aesthetic characteristics of pyracanthas, in conjunction with their home security qualities, makes them an alternative to artificial fences and walls. They are also good shrubs for a wildlife garden, providing dense cover for roosting and nesting birds, summer flowers for bees and an abundance of berries as a food source. Pyracantha berries are mildly poisonous as they contain Cyanogenic glycosides and can cause mild gastro-intestinal problems ; they are edible only when crushed and washed under running water. They have been made into jelly. Pyracantha make fantastic bonsai specimens.

Native to California the Costal Redwood is prized for its wood which is light weight, and resistance to decay. With fragrant scale like leaves this giant is an extremely quick grower. It is a long lived species with many specimens reportedly over 1000 years old. Probably the best of the sequoia species for bonsai.

Buxus sempervirens (common box, European box, or boxwood), is a species of flowering plant in the genus Buxus, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco, and east through the northern Mediterranean region to Turkey. Buxus sempervirens is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 1–9 m (3 ft 3 in–29 ft 6 in) tall, with a trunk up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in diameter (exceptionally to 10 m tall and 45 cm diameter). Arranged in opposite pairs along the stems, the leaves are green to yellow-green, oval, 1.5–3 cm long, and 0.5–1.3 cm broad. The hermaphrodite flowers are inconspicuous but highly scented, greenish-yellow, with no petals, and are insect pollinated; the fruit is a three-lobed capsule containing 3-6 seeds. A good specimen for bonsai.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was unknown until about 60 years ago, when it was discovered in the form of fossils collected by paleobotanists. At the time, the tree was thought to have been extinct for perhaps a million years. One year later, Dawn Redwood was discovered alive and well in the remote village of Motao-chi in the Chinese province of Szechwan. A Boston arboretum sent a special expedition to the area. The seeds collected were shared with other botanical gardens around the world, and this deciduous conifer is now widely available. Mature trees in China are broadly conical and grow about 100 feet tall from thick buttressed roots. Presumably they will eventually attain a similar size in the U.S. and elsewhere--young plants grow 3 feet or more a year. On a large lawn, they can attract attention not only for their history but for their foliage. Soft, bright green needles, about 3/4 inch long, appear in early spring, then turn pinkish brown before falling in the autumn. Brown cones 3/4 inch long ripen each year.

Native to the mountains of central and southern Europe from Spain to the Balkan peninsula. It is a variable species that is most often seen as a bushy, multi-stemmed shrub or broad-rounded small tree between 5-7m tall. Mature plants typically exhibit a dense habit, usually growing wider than tall. They can be pruned annually in late winter to retain their compact size. Unpruned plants may outgrow designated planting spaces as they mature and overcrowd neighbouring plants. It is a slow growing and can take 50 years to reach it's maximum height and spread. Grows well in moist, well-drained loams in full sun and also in sandy soils, but less well in clay. Avoid poorly-drained wet soils. Plants prefer cool summer climates. Plants are generally tolerant of air pollution found in urban conditions. Makes an interesting bonsai specimen.

 Chaenomeles japonica is a species of Japanese Quince. It is a thorny deciduous shrub that is commonly cultivated. It is shorter than another commonly cultivated species C. speciosa, growing to only about 1 m in height. The fruit is called Kusa-boke in Japanese. It is best known for its colourful spring flowers of red, white, pink or multi. It produces apple-shaped fruit that are a golden-yellow colour containing red-brown seeds. The fruit is edible but hard. Chaenomeles japonica is also popularly grown in bonsai.

Ficus benghalensis, commonly known as the banyan, banyan fig and Indian banyan, is a tree native to the Indian Subcontinent. Specimens in India are among the largest trees in the world by canopy coverage. It also known as the "strangler fig" because it starts out as epiphyte, that is, leaning on another tree that it ends up suffocating. Ficus benghalensis is an evergreen , fast-growing tree found mainly in monsoon and rainforests, that can reach a height of 20 meters. It is resistant to drought and mild frost. It produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots on the branches that grow downward like lianas. Once these roots reach the ground, they take root and become woody trunks and supportive. Ficus benghalensis is the national tree of India. Apart from making a spectacular garden tree they also make interesting bonsai specimens.

Japanese Black Pine can reach the height of 40 m, but rarely achieves this size outside its natural range. The needles are in fascicles of two with a white sheath at the base, 7-12 cm long; female cones are 4-7 cm in length, scaled, with small points on the tips of the scales, taking two years to mature. Male cones are 1-2 cm long borne in clumps of 12-20 on the tips of the spring growth. Bark is grey on young trees and small branches, changing to black and plated on larger branches and the trunk; becoming quite thick on older trunks. Because of its resistance to pollution and salt, it is a popular horticultural tree. In Japan it is widely used as a garden tree both trained as Niwaki and untrained growing as an overstory tree. The trunks and branches are trained from a young age to be elegant and interesting to view. It is one of the classic bonsai subjects.

Though native to Japan, Larix Kaempferi is also widely planted in other parts of the world as a forestry tree due to its strength and vigour. Its growth as a juvenile tree is even faster than the European Larch though its ultimate height is no greater. Unlike the drooping branches of the European Larch, the branches of Larix kaempferi spread more or less horizontally. The main way to differentiate between the two species is the colour of the new twigs in winter; Larix kaempferi has a reddish colour whilst Larix decidua is yellow. The Japanese Larches make a great bonsai!

Japanese cedar is a tall, cone shaped evergreen with bluish green foliage and a massive trunk with thick reddish brown bark that shreds and peels in long strips. This is a fast growing tree that, in its native habitat, can get more than 180 feet tall with a trunk diameter exceeding 12 feet. Ornamental specimens are rarely more than 60 feet tall. The branches are arranged in horizontal tiers, ascending at first, then drooping near their ends. The flattened, wedge-shaped leaves are about 1/2 inch long and point forward, while their bases clasp the twigs. The leaves are overlapping and crowded in 5 ranks that spiral around and completely cloak the twigs. Male and female cones, 1 inch or less in length, are on the same tree. Two varieties are recognized: var. japonica has a dense habit and thick, spreading branches; var. sinensis has a looser habit and slender, drooping branches. A fantastic bonsai specimen.

Cedrus libani is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to 40 m (130 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in diameter. The crown is conic when young, becoming broadly tabular with age with fairly level branches. A good specimen for bonsai.

 Popular & Fast-Growing Cotoneaster (pronounced ko-toe-nee-AS-ter) is an excellent plant for novice bonsai enthusiasts: they are tough, easy too grow, not too thirsty, tolerant of all sorts of light conditions and most soils. Small, pink flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the fall add interest year round. Native to Western China and hardy to zone 5. Give it a try!