The azalea bonsai tree is one of the most common types of bonsai trees you’ll find these days. This is a genus with many species, but the ones that are most commonly bought by bonsai gardeners are the satsuki azalea bonsai and the Kurume azalea bonsai tree. This is a plant with beautiful flowers that can be of up to seven inches of diameter, and is one of the most interesting flowering shrubs.

This particular type of plant can be considered a shrub, but it is grown as a tree with any bonsai style, including semi-cascade, windswept, root-over-rock and slanting. This is definitely a great looking plant if you love bonsai trees, and of course you’ll have to give it proper care to see it flourish healthily.

Azalea bonsai tree care

This plant is great if you are already accustomed to the activities involved in growing bonsai. Here are a few pointers you can’t miss if you want to give good care to your azalea bonsai:

Watering. The plant in its natural state needs rainwater, however this is not possible in all situations. In case you can’t give it rainfall, use this: a mix of a tablespoon of vinegar and a gallon of water. Water with this the plant once a month.

Location. Placing the azalea bonsai under direct sunlight will result in damage to the flowers, affecting their color. It is especially important to keep the plant in shade during summer.

Pruning and Sculpting. Pruning must be done after flowering, taking care not to leave dead flowers around it.

Soil Feeding. The soil will need to be treated every two weeks when spring begins, and feeding must be stopped when the azalea bonsai tree starts to bloom. For some people this requires a lot of patience, so be prepared for it. In the end the time invested will have great rewards, after all that’s why we all bonsai gardening!

The serissa bonsai tree is a plant that grown in the open woodland in South East Asia, it is also names Serissa Foetida, due to the smell the bark and roots have when they are cut or crushed. This is a small plant that only can grow to around 50 cms. The leaves of this plant are really peculiar because they grow in opposite pairs and it is very dense in branches.

The serissa bonsai tree is also known as the “Tree of a Thousand Stars” because it produces a big number of small funnel-shaped flowers at summer time in its native soil.

Serissa is definitely not a beginner bonsai tree; it is difficult to keep even for experienced people! What makes it difficult to keep is that it will yellow quickly and drop leaves if it is not located under the right growing conditions. If temperature drops below 7ºC, the tree could die pretty quickly, so in may cases this will be a call for indoor cultivation, but at the same time, the required humidity levels are hard to replicate in an indoor setting.

Growing serissa bonsai trees

Let’s talk about the things you need to consider when growing serissa bonsai tree. The first you need to establish is the plant’s location. This plant will grow nice in an outdoor setting if the temperature doesn’t drop below 7ºC, but do not move the tree around, just keep it in one place. This is a subtropical plant.

If temperatures tend to drop below the recommended level, then you’ll need to take your bonsai for indoor growing. You’ll need to find a permanent position out of cold draughts, next to a window. An humidity tray can be of great help to get the right levels of humidity needed by the plant, also avoid at all costs putting serissa near a radiator, or somewhere above it, or else the air will be too dry for the plant. Moving the plant constantly will make growing it more difficult as it will be under stress.

When it comes to watering, you need to give it the appropriate amounts of water and then do not water again until the soil has nearly dried out. Overwatering is an issue with Serissa bonsai trees, and it is evidenced by yellowish leaves.

Pruning and repotting is simpler. Just cut away the suckers unless they are needed for trunk styles, repotting is done in Spring when the growth starts and using always standard soil mix.

Serissa bonsai feeding must be done once a month when it is winter time, and when the growth is stronger, you’ll need to feed it every two weeks. If the plant is not showing new growth, do not feed it.