In simple terms, a bonsai is just a tree in a pot which is more or less literally what the Japanese word bonsai means. But literal translations seldom get the whole message across. Try, for example, translating egg-timer into Japanese and they will find this hilarious: ‘Time an egg! Doing what?’ The wealth of cultural symbolism that surrounds the image of such a simple everyday tool is lost.

To be more specific, a bonsai is a miniature representation of a full-grown tree – real or imaginary – cultivated in an aesthetically compatible container.

Any species of tree has the potential to be cultivated as a bonsai ( go to our gallery here at bonsai pictures to see lots of examples ), although some are better than others. A common misconception is that dwarf varieties make the best bonsai, whereas this is not often the case. Genetically dwarfed plants are weak growers and more susceptible to disease. Trees with naturally large or compound leaves, like chestnut and ash, are also difficult. Their foliage will reduce after many years in bonsai cultivation, but never enough to match the scale of the tree. Trees such as beech, hawthorn, pine, larch and elm make fine bonsai, as do many garden shrubs, such as Chinese juniper, azalea, quince, cotoneaster and more.

Another misconception is that bonsai are kept small by the application of some magic potion, or by withholding nutrients. Some people compare growing a tree in a pot to the long abandoned practice of binding Chinese women’s feet to keep them small. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bonsai are probably among the best cared-for plants in cultivation. If bonsai weren’t maintained in excellent health, they would never reach the staggering age that they do, even outliving their full-size counterparts.

Buying bonsai

Developing your own bonsai takes time and a great deal of discipline: daily watering in summer, regular feeding and trimming, annual re-potting, wire-training and, of course, unwiring. Understandably, most people prefer to get a head start by buying their first bonsai or two, so they have something to appreciate and for learning the techniques on – and why not?

Always remember that you’re buying a living thing. What’s more, it has been developed in another climate and shipped halfway round the world in a dark container before reaching the store or nursery. Any plant would need a period of recovery after such an ordeal, but not all bonsai get this – or at least to a sufficient extent. As with most things, you get what you pay for.

If you buy a cheap bonsai from a market stall or supermarket, you shouldn’t be too surprised if it is dead within a couple of weeks. You might assume that you’re no good with bonsai, or that bonsai simply die on you but it wouldn’t be your fault.

The best places to buy bonsai are specialist nurseries, whose livelihoods depend on good products and service. If there isn’t one near you, look for a reputable garden centre where the staff will be knowledgeable about plants in general, and will have properly cared for the stock in their possession.

What to buy

There are three major criteria to consider when buying bonsai. First you must like the way it looks. Whether or not its appearance takes your fancy is an entirely personal matter, but as you become more discerning, your tastes will tend towards a more tree-like appearance than some commercial bonsai.

The other two criteria are more scientific. The second major factor is the matter of the plant’s health. The health of any plant can usually be detected in the foliage. Lush, green, blemish-free leaves usually indicate a healthy tree.

Yellowing leaves, old as well as new, indicate over-watering or a nutrient deficiency. Brown foliage is dead – and if that part of a tree is dead, the rest might soon follow. Gently test the trunk to see if the tree is stable in the pot. If it wobbles easily, the root system is poor and the tree will therefore be weak.

The third consideration is where you intend to keep the tree – indoors or outdoors?