Here is a compilation of plants that I have used to make bonsai with during the past twenty five years. They have been tried and tested. These trees are easy to grow and shape and can be recommended to the novice who wants to grow their own bonsai. There are quite a number of trees I have not listed here for the sole reason they die too easily on the bonsai beginner, or are to difficult to grow. Once you have mastered the art of bonsai on the easy ones, the more difficult ones can be attempted.

American Swamp Cypress

Apricot

Baobab

Bauhenia

Black Monkey Thorn

Boer - Bean Tree 3 Specimens

Bougainvillea

Boulevard Cypress

Blue Thorn

Buddleja

Chinese Elm

Chinese Elm “ Yatsubusa ”

Chinese June

Chinese Maple

Chinese May White

Chinese May Pink

Cotoneaster 5 Specimens

Eugenia

Fire Thorn 7 Specimens

Flowering Quince

Gardenia

Japanese Maple

Japanese Maple “ Shishio ”

Japanese Maple 43 Grafted Specimens

Kai- Apple

Knob Thorn

Liquidamber

Monkey Thorn

Mulberry

Pomegranate

Pomegranate Nana

Privet

Privet  Ibota

Privet ( Small Leaf )

Pride Of India

Procumbens Nana

Pussy Willow

Silver Birch

Copper Birch

White Stinkwood

Wild  Fig ( Burtt-davi )

Wild Fig ( Natal )

Wild Fig ( Congo )

Wild Fig ( Robusta )

Wild Fig ( Weeping )

Wild Fig ( Benjamina )

Wild Olive

Trees that do not so well

Thorn trees:

Of the one hundred and forty seven specimens only four work easily for bonsai. Monkey thorn, black monkey thorn,

knob thorn and blue thorn. Ninety nine percent of the rest grow to fast, to big or die when you tamper with the root system

Jacaranda:

The leaves do not miniaturise easily .

Corral tree:

The stem thickens out quickly but the leaves do not miniaturise easily .

Cabbage tree:

In my opinion this is a normal succulent and can not be pruned or styled into bonsai as it does not have branches for shaping .

Kudu Lily, Impala Lilly, Money Tree, “ Spek Boom “:

These are succulents but can produce an interesting shape .

Most of the fruit trees do not miniaturise their leaves and have a life span of twenty to thirty years only,

which mean just as the tree starts to shape nicely it dies of old age.

The fruit and flowers of a tree can not be miniaturised.

There are a lot of miniature plants people use as “ bonsai “ but personally,

if you do not perform the pruning art of bonsai to a tree,

it stays a nice small pot plant only and will not become a bonsai.