Bonsai starter plants

Fish Poison Tree. This curious plant grows in sand or sand-mix with lots of water and sun. The stem will reach for up to 60Ft, and the flowers are white. What seems to be a caudex is just the large nut which will disappear by time. The young leaves are a beautiful bronze with pinkish veins. Old leaves turn yellowish. The flowers are delightful puff balls of white stamens tipped with pink. They open at night and attract large moths and nectar-feeding bats with their heavy scent.

Bauhinia grandidieri, Dwarf Blue Orchid Tree - a very rare exotic shrub, great for bonsai. Lavender to bluish small flowers and tiny leaves. The plant is very slow growing and naturally looks like a miniature tree. This is a collectible item, plants are very hard to find.

Ponytail palm, Pony Tail, bottle palm, nolina, elephant-foot tree. Palm-looking succulent with greatly swollen trunk base and the curved, narrow leaves. Very cute plants with large caudex. Drought tolerant plant that require very little care if any. Can tolerate some freeze.

Bougainvillea Sunvillea Rose (also called Dwarf Pixie) is deep pink, almost a magenta in color. It blooms the brightest of fuchsia-pink bracts contrasting with its bright green foliage. If you're looking for a pick-me-up for your container gardens, or a dull space in the landscape, here's your winner!
It is a dwarf form of thornless Bougainvillea with extremely slow growth rate. These showy evergreen dwarf beauties have numerous bright colorful bracts growing in an upright habit. This plant flowers in a small as a 4" pot and is great for landscapes and patio containers. It has a shape of natural bonsai, and leaves are smaller. Bright flowers are born in dense clusters. 3-4 y.o. plants can stay only 3-4 ft and look like natural bonsai trees. They stay compact, perfectly round and dense shape, don't require pruning, making a must-have for any garden, especially for the small spaces in your yard.
See picture of the mature tree in 7 gal pot

Spiny Black Olive, Ming Tree. Exotic small tree that is valuable as unusual bonsai subject or specimen plant. This delicate tree grows into a bonsai almost by itself! Can be used as a potted indoor tree. It is very salt tolerant, making it a good choice for bonsai lovers by the sea. Bonsai shapes are awesome. They have small leaves and thorns and and grow out erratically in all directions, forming diamond-like lace.

Kapok Tree, Silk Cotton Tree - A majestic tropical tree. The ancient Maya of Central America believed that a great Ceiba tree stood at the center of the earth. Large size tree, requires space.
See Article about this tree: Ceiba pentandra, Kapok Tree: Maya Sacred Tree at the Center of the Earth

Pink Silk Floss Tree. One of the most beautiful trees in the world. In full bloom, there are almost no leaves. You see a huge mass of color with 10s of thousands of flowers. Premier tree choice for your landscape.
See article about this plant.

West African Sickle bush, Aroma, Kalahari Christmas tree, Chinese lantern tree, Marabou-thorn, Princess's Earrings. Interesting powderpuff-like pink flowers make this plant unforgettable. Good plant for bonsai.

This is a rare cultivar from a private collection of Mark Hooten, hardly known in cultivation.
Euphorbia decaryi is a small, perennial, leafy succulent with a shrub-like development and beautiful wavy, zig-zag edged leaves. It is a mat-forming species and spreads almost horizontally on the ground by means of rhizomes. The Euphorbia decaryi growth form illustrates the typical horizontal habit of most Madagascan euphorbias.
Evergreen or semi-deciduous, leaves tufted in rosettes at the stems tips, deep-red and green colored, narrow, very succulent, highly undulate, folded and crisp with raised veins and very attractive. Leaves in summer and under stress assume a nice coppery-bronze coloring. Flowers are very curious, hanging like small bells.

Exotic Color Crown of Thorns, new variety from Thailand.
Euphorbia is the easiest plant to grow! Everbloomer. Chinese grow E. millii as plant of fortune, they believe that when the plant produces 8 flowers in an inflorescence, they will be lucky.

Exotic Color Crown of Thorns, new variety from Thailand.
Euphorbia is the easiest plant to grow! Everbloomer. Chinese grow E. millii as plant of fortune, they believe that when the plant produces 8 flowers in an inflorescence, they will be lucky.

Exotic Color Crown of Thorns, new variety from Thailand.
Euphorbia is the easiest plant to grow! Everbloomer. Chinese grow E. millii as plant of fortune, they believe that when the plant produces 8 flowers in an inflorescence, they will be lucky.

Exotic Color Crown of Thorns, new variety from Thailand.
Euphorbia is the easiest plant to grow! Everbloomer. Chinese grow E. millii as plant of fortune, they believe that when the plant produces 8 flowers in an inflorescence, they will be lucky.

Full scientific name: Ficus natalensis subspecies leprieuri, also known as Ficus triangularis variegata.
One of the coolest plants on the market! The Ficus Triangularis Variegata plant is one of the harder plants to find, even its non-variegated version is not common. This easy-care beauty shows off quantities of green and cream, triangle-heart-shape leaves that are held aloft on stiff compact stems. It's a super tough plant that can take a bit more abuse than other members of the ficus family. It is a slow grower eventually reaching 4 feet in height. The brighter the light, the better the variegation will be on new foliage.
This spectacular ficus can make an excellent houseplant. Decorate a table top with a single specimen or flank a doorway or entry with a pair of these easy-care ficus. They would also look terrific in a bright bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen.
This plant NEEDS light, if you do not give it enough light it may drop leaves or stop producing variegation. If grown indoors, use additional grow light for 10 hours a day. Water your plant whenever the soil feels dry to the touch. This handsome plant does not like wet feet so use your finger to make sure the soil is completely dry before offering moisture. Water thoroughly and then let the plant dry out again before it gets another drink.

A remarkable Morning Glory native to arid regions of Argentina. Like other caudiciform species, it has swollen stems containing water-storage tissue, and can survive extended periods of drought. Give it a well-drained soil, keep it moist and keep it out of the full sun. The caudex will grow to more than 2 ft, the vines reach for more than 12 ft. The bell-shaped flowers are pink. The plant is very showy; it can be kept in a pot as a bonsai and is easy to control as a container specimen, just needs a little trellis, otr can be pruned. Fast growing.
See picture of plants with caudex

Grimal Jaboticaba - Peluda de Alagoas. Rare Jaboticaba introduced by Adolf Grimal. Sometimes known as the Giant Jaboticaba, it bears fruits that are larger than many Jaboticaba varieties. Has larger fruits with thick pulp and small seeds. Also notable that the fruits are mildly hairy and foliage may show a similar appearance. The trees are heavy producers, and will begin fruiting in 5 years. The tree fruits year round producing a lot of fruit.

Jaboticaba. One of the most popular native fruit of Brazil. Grape-like purple fruit with a thick skin and delicious melting pulp somewhat resembling Northern Black Currant in flavor. Small white flowers grow right on the trunk ("cauliflora" means "flowers growing on trunk). Trees grow very slowly and due to small leaves and dwarfish growth habit are often used as bonsai. Some old bonsai specimens can fruit.

Jaboticaba. One of the most popular native fruit of Brazil. Grape-like purple fruit with a thick skin and delicious melting pulp somewhat resembling Northern Black Currant in flavor. Small white flowers grow right on the trunk ("cauliflora" means "flowers growing on trunk). Trees grow very slowly and due to small leaves and dwarfish growth habit are often used as bonsai. Some old bonsai specimens can fruit.

Italian jasmine. Jasmine oil is extracted from the flowers and is imported from India. It has a rich, warm, sweet scent. It is a middle note in perfumery. Hardy to Zone 8.

Coral Jatropha - small, miniature tree or medium size shrub. Red flowers look like corals, followed by curious yellow fruit. Exotic looking specimen plant, easy to grow, very tropical look. Drought tolerant. Can be grown in a pot, makes a nice palm-looking house plant.

Jatropha (Gout plant) is an attention grabber and a must in every tropical garden. It has a large bottle-like caudex and huge leaves up to 10-12 inches in diameter. The more shade, the bigger the leaves. Great natural bonsai. Makes a good potted plant but can also be used as a conversation piece specimen in a small garden.

Moujean Tea, Bahamas Berry, Pineapple Verbena. Evergreen shrub, native to the island of Inagua in the Bahamas. It is often used as a bonsai plant due to its miniaturized features. Tiny white flowers are borne in clusters in summer. It prefers full sun, warmth and high humidity. Wants to be consistently moist to wet and never, never dry. If grown indoors it will appreciate warm feet during winter (try a heat mat). A decoction of the fragrant leaves, variously described as having the scent and flavor of citrus, vanilla, or pineapple, is used as an herbal tea.
A good choice for a small topiary or bonsai.

Malabar Peanut, Guiana Chestnut. Beautiful flowering tree with edible nuts. Great for bonsai.
It is a tropical wetland tree that is native to Central and South America, known for its large, glossy leaves and its distinctive, braided trunk. The tree is often grown for its ornamental value, and is popular in both indoor and outdoor settings. It is believed to bring good luck and prosperity to those who own it, and is sometimes referred to as a "money tree." Pachira aquatica is also used in traditional medicine for a variety of purposes, including as a treatment for wounds and infections.

Madagascar Palm - a weird succulent with a thick, spiny gray trunk covered with 2 inch spines and the foliage is arranged spirally at the top. Water sparingly and do not fertilize.
See picture of the actual plants for sale.

Dwarf form of favorite Pandanus with large heads of cascading green and yellow thin leaves. You can have a nice exotic Screw Pine as a dwarf in a pot.