Bonsai starter plants

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.

Calliandra riparia, Calliandra schultzei, Dwarf Powderpuff - great for bonsai. See picture of the 3 y.o. bonsai. If grown without training, the plant will make a nice bushy little tree.
A dwarf variety, perfect houseplant, good for bonsai. Beautiful oriental looking plant.
Fluffy, pink "powderpuff" flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Grows as a small, bushy shrub in pots but can develop into a larger, bushy tree when planted in the ground.
Thrives in full sun to partial shade and becomes drought-tolerant once established.

It is a long-lived, many-stemmed dense shrub, the branches grow from ground level, and the leaves consist of tiny crowded leaflets that fold together at night or by touch. The fine, feathery and large flowers are a deep scarlet color and borne among the green foliage from spring to autumn. Some varieties may have pinkish color. Great bonsai plant.

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.

Texas ebony, Ebony blackbead, Apples earring. Great bonsai plant with tiny leaves and natural shape of a miniature tree.

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.

Rock Fig, Rock Ficus, Texcalamate, Lava Fig. Very showy velvet leaves with purple veins. Forms a caudex, good for bonsai. If planted in ground, grows in a small tree. The more water you give this plant the bigger it will grow and vice versa. This plant has nice caudex. In winter may drop some leaves.

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.
See video about a mail ordered Jaboticaba tree.

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.
See video about a mail ordered Jaboticaba tree.

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.

Very rare variegated Turk's Cap, Firecracker Hibiscus.
Almost ever-blooming, this shrub looks much like a hibiscus (to which it is closely related) which flowers are ready to open. In fact, the flowers never open much, hence the common name of Sleepy Hibiscus. It blooms often, and the flowers attract hummingbirds. The 2 inch long tubular flowers appear to be constructed of crimson crepe paper as they nod against the large oval leaves, some leaves can be completely white! The little tree looks like decorated Christmas tree!
Can be kept compact shape and is good for container culture and bonsai.

Corkbush. Outstanding sprays of purple/lilac, pea-like flowers cover the shrub from early Spring thru Summer, attracting butterflies. Very showy "corky" bark. Great plant for bonsai!

Miniature Orange Jasmine. This dwarf variety of murraya stays compact. The shrub gets bushy but stays short 1-2ft tall. Very fragrant flowers year round followed by red fruit. Good for potting culture and as a house plant. This plant is very interesting. The seedlings start blooming in small 1-2" size, when they have only 3-4 leaves! It needs lots of direct sun, likes to be somewhat on a dry side. Do not push it with fertilizer. It is VERY slow-growing. In 2 years it may grow as little as 1 ft tall, this is why it is called Mini. But the good thing is it starts blooming in few weeks to 1-2 months after germination!
No shipping. Local pick-up only. This plant may be available per request. Ask at the office if we have it at the moment.

The Nashia inaguensis, also known as Moujean Tea, Bahamas Berry, or Pineapple Verbena, boasts delightfully fragrant leaves. This evergreen shrub hails from the island of Inagua in the Bahamas and is often cultivated as a bonsai due to its small size. During summer, it produces tiny white flowers in clusters that are followed by reddish orange berries. It thrives in full sun, warm temperatures, and high humidity, and requires consistent moisture to prevent drying out. Its fragrant leaves can be brewed into a tea that offers a citrusy, vanilla-like, or pineapple-like flavor and aroma.
This plant is an excellent choice for a small topiary or bonsai and makes a stunning centerpiece in Southern gardens. The plant has a low-growing habit of 2 feet, but can grow up to 5 feet when mature. It responds well to pruning and can be shaped and sized according to your preference. If planted along a walkway, the leaves can be lightly brushed to emit their enchanting scent with each passing.

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.

Perescia, Rose Cactus are the only true cactus that have leaves. That being said, it also is very thorny. You forget about how spiny this plant is when you see the gorgeous hot pink flowers. The flowers are nice size and really pretty. It blooms a lot during the warmer weather in full sun. This plant does not like the cold and I would protect in when the weather starts to get in the 30's. This plant may drop all leaves in winter. This rose cactus can also be used to make a Bonsai Tree.

Shaving Brush Tree - Bonsai Starter. This is one of the best candidates in existence for large bonsai! Although this plant can grow into a giant tree, but it can also be kept contained in a pot: this causes it to grow a massive caudex that resembles a tortoise shell! It is a unique choice for bonsai due to its striking flowers and distinctive trunk. As a bonsai, it features a swollen base (caudex) that gives it a sturdy and aged look, even when young. Huge, brush-like white flowers that look like shaving brushes emerge after winter dormancy, before foliage. It's a beautiful and exotic option for bonsai enthusiasts.
See pictures of the bonsai starter and of the flowering bonsai.

Sacred Buddhist, Wondrous Wrightia. A rare plant with heavily fragrant flowers. This variety is easier to grow than double flower variety; it is more vigorous. May drop leaves in winter.

Dwarf Sacred Buddhist. This rare variety of famous wrightia is very special because of the growth habit. Even in habitat, it keeps form of a bonsai, a round nice dense shrub with tiny leaves and wonderfully scented flowers. It is perfect for bonsai culture and for everyone who has limited space but wants to enjoy wrightia fragrance. The perfume is sweet and heavy.

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

Jamaican Rain Tree. Rare slow growing plant, can be grown as bonsai or small specimen tree. Very showy flowers.