What is the Easiest Bonsai for a Beginner?

The most common question we get asked on the nursery is what is the easiest tree for a beginner? In this video I explain what’s easiest for both indoors and outdoors.

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[daphnegraham]

Shows how genuine Mr Chan is. There's washing on the radiator. Love this man!

[peaches]

I really appreciate the Canada mention in the weather section for outdoor trees! -30 is a pretty regular winter temp lol

[DavidMFChapman]

I have kept a ficus alive since 1977, about 45 years, but I never styled it as a bonsai until recently. It’s essentially an indoor tree, but I keep it outside in summer.

I have potted up volunteer maples, mountain ash, and summersweet, all of which live outside in pots.

I live in Atlantic Canada, with long periods of sub-freezing temperatures.

[andreasweber]

I started into bonsai with cuttings off a Ficus benjamina houseplant my mother had, because that was available. F. benjamina may not be ideal, but it worked for me. Generally ficus is the easiest recommendation for indoor care, as it can do pretty well with the reduced light levels there (being an understory plant in the jungle). Portulacaria afra, the elephant bush, would be another plant that can be kept warm continuously, but is much more light-hungry. (Edit: avoid the grafted ficus shapes though, like the "ginseng" and what's sometimes called "IKEA style" with the braided trunk, if you want to grow actual bonsai. You can take the foliage off a cheap "ginseng" for cuttings if you can't find better starter plants.)
Outdoors I'd recommend to look at whatever is used for hedging in your area, as those plants have the same requirements as beginner bonsai (hard to kill, cheap and easy to get, react to pruning with dense, twiggy growth, small leaves etc). Here in Germany top of the list would be privet, other nice options being hornbeam, field maple, yew, firethorn and a few more. Privet also roots from thick cuttings (as does ficus).

[amarmanocha]

Without your relaxing videos my day is not complete.

[PercyWarX]

I'm new to bonsai, still getting all my stuff ready. I'm from South Africa and I not close to any nurseries and love watching these videos to educate me and I Think Bonsai is a great hobby to start with, I'm probably going make lots of mistakes in the beginning, but that's how I'm going to learn, just wished I have started earlier with it.

[jamesa]

Haha! Peter looks like one of Santa's retired gangsta elfs. He used to be in the "collection and enforcement" division but now just collects bonsai and encourages others to do the same! 😂 Well done Mr Chan, another fine video, merry Christmas!

[BennyBigIron]

I always enjoy taking a walk through your garden with you Peter. Thanks for the tips!

[niko-]

I don’t have a bonsai.

I just love this dude

[malegerski]

Hello, from Utah, USA. I’m a beginner and this has been very helpful.

[robbybobby]

Easy is true. I bought my first bonsai 30 years ago. It was a ficus. It is still healthy and alive.

[angierox]

Thank you!! I think I’m ready to bonsai baby! And I am definitely at beginner stage. Much to learn and I’m very excited about this new interest. 🌳

[galvanicmass]

I've just brought mine in for the winter. Good old ficus.

[dmitrimikrioukov]

I live in Siberia, Zone 3 (this was Zone 2 a few decades ago), and in winter I just keep the trees on the open balcony. Average winter temperature is - 15. I keep larch and Siberian pine. The Siberian pine is actually a very hardy and very close relative of the subtropical Chinese White pine.

[justdande]

Alberta, Canada here... I've got a bit of success starting bonsai from seed. It got to -50°C this past winter so I'm thinkinf that my tiny seedlings should stay indoors this coming winter 😁 We'll see how it goes... New subscriber to your channel.

[thetroytroycan]

Chan is the man. Relaxes me with calm, documentary-like vids. Im going to start with a ficus and portulacaria. Indoors because i live in a big city. Id love outdoor but cant.

[heathbrockway]

I always enjoy listening while working on my plants and trees. Thank you

[glassblowned]

I love all your videos, there is something comforting about them. I was wondering if you could do a video on Pest Management? Do you treat plants as needed? Or do you have a schedule to follow? Thank you so much for your time and sharing knowledge! :)

[paularndt]

I really wish you had a distributor in the US Peter. You have such a wonderful variety of beautiful bonsai. I am very thankful for all you share in your videos . 😃

[Shakudo]

Thanks to your lessons, I hoped I have made the right choices, I was tempted to go for Carmona. But as seeing that the indoor bonsai have such degrees of difficulties, I decided on keeping this advice in mind. Ficus, Chinese Elm, and Chinese pepper are the bonsai that I’m trying to see how they adapt and fare in my house. Thank you again. For all the wisdom.