Trees for bonsai are selected on a first come, first served basis, especially for you, when you place your order, with special attention to the surface roots, which need to be balanced, and the graft, which needs to be low and inconspicuous, as well as appropriate low branching. Cutting-propagated trees have no graft, of course, are much slower growing and tend to have less taper than grafted trees. Information in the article Growing Maples in Containers will be helpful with horticultural information. The text of our booklet, Growing Small Trees in Containers, is available on the site as a downloadable PDF file (92k).

For lists of trees grafted for bonsai, cutting propagated maples and seed-propagated selected for bonsai, follow these links.

We also offer a selection of Pre-Bonsai maples that we have been working on for 2 to 15 years. Our Sensei is Dennis Makishima, and he has had a strong influence on our work. We use the "clip and grow" method, and use no wire. If a branch needs bending, we use weights or stakes to obtain the effect desired. We work for taper, and remove any major flaws for you, establishing a good structure for the finished tree. These trees are in one to 15 gallon pots, and have been trained from their second year, and potted up in larger pots as they mature, so that we can obtain good caliper and taper in the trunks before you get them. Many need a few more years in training pots, and some are ready for bonsai trays now. It will be up to you to reduce the root mass. We suggest that you do it in a 2 to 5 year program. Examples of Pre-Bonsai Trees are here, but each tree in this group is an individual, and you can best be served in person. Please call for availability, toll-free 1 (888) 707-6522.