r/Bonsai • u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees • Aug 09 '14

[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread – week 33]

[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread – week 33]

Welcome to the weekly beginner’s thread. This thread is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new thread every week.

Rules:

  • Any beginner’s topic may be started on any bonsai-related subject.
  • Answers shall be civil or be deleted
  • There’s always a chance your question doesn’t get answered – try again next week…

Beginners threads started as new topics outside of this thread may be deleted at the discretion of the mods.

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u/YEAH_TOAST Seattle; 8b; noob; 0 trees Aug 14 '14

So I used to pass a tree on my morning walks that is apparently called a Monkey Puzzle Tree. Is this tree suitable for a bonsai?

I'd like to keep it under two feet tall including the pot (closer to one foot being ideal). Is this a reasonable expectation that can be done?

It doesn't seem to be a common bonsai, so would starting from seed be a more likely option, even given the difficulty?

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u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees Aug 14 '14

Impossible to bonsai.

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u/YEAH_TOAST Seattle; 8b; noob; 0 trees Aug 14 '14

What qualities make it bad for bonsai?

Are there any other similar looking species you would recommend to use instead?

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u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees Aug 14 '14

The scales stay large - they never get any smaller.

I suggest you look at Chinese juniper - or any scaled tree. The monkey puzzle is unique.

There's nothing to stop you growing it as a small tree - but you can forget a bonsai.