Tropical Bonsai

When you hear the word ‘Bonsai’, you usually think of temperate zone conifers, Japanese maples, and other assorted deciduous trees.  However, in South Florida, ‘Bonsai’ takes on a whole new connotation.  The choices for plant material are almost endless.  There are our natives to choose from, such as the Stoppers, Lignum-vitae, or Christmasberry to name a few.  Then there are tropical fruit trees, like Jaboticaba, Barbados Cherry, and Cherry of the Rio Grande.  Oh yes, the biggest category of all, the ornamentals with such standbys as Bougainvillea, Ficus neriifolia, and Tropical Dwarf Holly (Malpighia coccigera).  Of course, we too have our conifers, although most of them are of a tropical nature, bonsai enthusiasts have grown them into nice specimens for years.

If you are an experienced grower, or just want to get started, Richard Lyons’ Nursery has plenty of the plant material available to get you started.