Bonsai Society
of Miami



Miami, Florida USA

Tree of the Month for January for Beginner

Family: Cannabaceae
Genus: Celtis
Common name: Chinese Hackberry
( Celtis aetnensis )

This used to be a double trunk tree. One side was grafted last year and turned into two trees. This is a deciduous species. The only reason this one has not dropped all the leaves is because her husband Ray poured a secret potion and the tree has gone wild. They love full sun and low to medium water. Tolerates heat and some degree of cold but will not endure extreme cold or prolonged freezing. Stands dry atmospheres and tolerates wind, smoke, and dust.

Tree of the Month for January for Advanced

Family: Nyctaginaceae
Genus: Neea
Species: Buxifolia
Common name: Neea

Tree of the Month for February for Intermediate

Family: Cupressaceae
Cultivar: Procumbens Nana
Common name: Juniper

He has worked on this tree for a few years. These trees are great as ground cover. They get very fat trunks in a short time  of being on the ground. They are used for shrubs and they are very low maintenance with an evergreen foliage. Junipers are very tolerant to drought, 
heat & humidity, pollution, sea-shore, slope, and wind. Small, rigid, closely set, awl-shaped bluish green leaves; new growth is  bright green; purplish winter color. Winter months are a good time repot and style.

Tree of the Month for March for Intermediate

Family: Ulmaceae 
Species: Ulmus parvifolia 
Common name: Chinese Elm

A small to medium deciduous, semi-deciduous (rarely semi-evergreen) tree growing to 10-18 m tall with a slender trunk and crown. It has been described as "one of the most splendid elms, having the poise of a graceful Nothofagus".[2] . The leathery, lustrous green single-toothed leaves are small, 2 cm - 5 cm long by 1 cm -3 cm broad, and often retained as late as December or even January in Europe and North America. The apetalous wind-pollinated perfect flowers are produced in early autumn, small and inconspicuous. The fruit is a samara, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 10 mm - 13 mm long by 6 mm - 8 mm broad [1]. The sam-ara is mostly glabrous, the seed at the center or toward the apex, borne on a stalk between 1 mm and 3 mm in length; it matures rapidly and disperses by late autumn. The trunk has a handsome, flaking bark of mottled grays with tans and reds, giving rise to its other common name, the Lacebark Elm, although scarring from major branch loss can lead to large canker -like wounds.

Tree of the Month for April for Beginner

Species: Pithecellobium tortum 
Common name: Brazilian Raintree

This bonsai tree can be grown outdoors in warm climates and will tolerate cool temperatures in the upper 40’s for a short 
time, it is classified as and indoor bonsai . Although they grow in full sun in Brazil, Brazilian bonsai rain trees if grown outdoors 
on a patio seem to like a bit of shade on 
very hot days.

Tree of the Month for April for Intermediate

Species: Carmona microphylla 
Common name: Fukien Tea

Originating in southeast China, the 
Fukien Tea is an evergreen tree named after the province of Fuijan. The leaves 
on this tree are small, shiny, and dark green, covered with tiny hairs. Together, the leaves form a dense and compact appearance. As a young tree, the Fukien Tea has light brown bark that be-gins to crack with age.

Tree of the Month for May for Intermediate

Species: Ulmus Parvifolia
Common name: Chinese Elm

The Chinese elm bonsai is probably the second most know species as a bonsai beside the juniper. This species of bonsai
 is also massively produce in China and is found to be sold in major re-tail store in America. The Chinese elm bonsai is often grown with a stake and tied to the stake a different place to produce a S type of trunk. For bonsai enthusiast, this style lack taste and refinement, but to the non-initiated, 
this bonsai represent a great bonsai.

Tree of the Month for May for Advanced

Species: Bucida Spinosa
Common name: Dwarf Black Olive

Exotic rare small tree that is valuable as unusual bonsai subject or specimen plant. This delicate tree grows into a bonsai almost by itself. It is very salt tolerant, making it a good choice for bonsai lovers 
by the sea. Bonsai shapes that are awesome. They have small leaves and thorns and grow out erratically in all directions, forming diamond-like lace. 
The tree produces a small, black seed-capsule. In natural habitat, Black 
olive can grow as 40 ft tall evergreen tree with a smooth trunk holding up strong, wind-resistant branches, forming a pyramidal shape when young but developing a very dense, full, oval to rounded crown with age. Sometimes the 
top of the crown will flatten with age, and the tree grows horizontally. The lush, dark bluish-green, leathery leaves are two to 
four inches long and clustered at branch tips, sometimes mixed with the 0.5 to 1.5-inch-long spines found along the branches. Pest problems seem rare.

Tree of the Month for June for Beginner

Species: Lagerstroemia 
Common name: Razzle Dazzle

by Audrey Freemen

While various species and cultivars are able to fill a wide variety of landscape needs, crape myrtles are chiefly famous for their colorful and long lasting flowers. Most species of Lagerstroemia have sinewy, fluted stems and branches with a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year. The leaves are opposite, simple, with entire margins, and vary from 5-20 cm (2-8 in). While all species are woody in nature, they can range in height from over 100 feet to under one foot; most, however are small to medium multiple-trunked trees and shrubs.
The leaves of temperate species provide autumn color. Flowers are born in summer and autumn in panicles of crinkled flowers with a crepe-like texture. Colors vary from deep purple to red to white, with almost every shade in between. Although ripening to dark brown or black dryness. It splits along six or seven lines, producing teeth much like those of the calyx, and releases numerous small winged seeds.

Tree of the Month for June for Intermediate

Species: Brya ebenus 
Common name: Jamaican Rain-tree 
Family: Fabaceae

Tree of the Month for June for Advanced

Species: Bucida Spinosa 
Common name: Dwarf Black Olive

Exotic rare small tree that is valuable as unusual bonsai subject or specimen plant. This delicate tree grows into a bonsai almost by itself. It is very salt tolerant, making it a good choice for bonsai lovers by the sea. Bonsai shapes that are awesome. They have small leaves and thorns and grow out erratically in all directions, forming diamond-like lace. The tree produces a small, black seed-capsule. In natural habitat, Black olive can grow as 40 ft tall evergreen tree with a smooth trunk holding up strong, wind-resistant branches, forming a pyramidal shape when young but developing a very dense, full, oval to rounded crown with age. Sometimes the top of the crown will flatten with age, and the tree grows horizontally. The lush, dark bluish-green, leathery leaves are two to four inches long and clustered at branch tips, sometimes mixed with the 0.5 to 1.5-inch-long spines found along the branches. Pest problems seem rare.

Tree of the Month for July for Beginner

Species: Bucida Spinosa
Common name: Dwarf Black Olive

by Hector Benitez

Exotic rare small tree that is valuable as unusual bonsai subject or speci-men plant. This delicate tree grows into a bonsai almost by itself. Can be used as a potted indoor tree. It is very salt tolerant, making it a good choice for bonsai lovers by the sea. Bonsai shapes that are awesome. They have small leaves and thorns and grow out erratically in all direc-tions, forming diamond-like lace. The tree produces a small, black seed-capsule. In natural habitat, Black olive can grow as 40 ft tall evergreen tree with a smooth trunk holding up strong, wind-resistant branches, forming a pyramidal shape when young but developing a very dense, full, oval to rounded crown with age. Sometimes the top of the crown will flat-ten with age, and the tree grows horizontally. The lush, dark bluish-green, leathery leaves are two to four inches long and clustered at branch tips, sometimes mixed with the 0.5 to 1.5-inch-long spines found along the branches. The plant likes to be well-watered and frequent fertilization, which promotes vigorous growth. Pest problems seem rare. It may throw some leaves during stress (like shipping or cool weather), but will recover easily.

Tree of the Month for July for Intermediate

Species:  Ulmus parvifolia
Common name: Chinese Elm

A small to medium deciduous, semi-deciduous (rarely semi-evergreen) tree growing to 10–18 m (30–60 ft) tall with a slender trunk and crown. 
It has been described as "one of the most splen-did elms, having the poise of a graceful Nothofagus". The leathery, lustrous green single-toothed leaves are small, 2–5 cm long by 1–3 cm broad, and 
often retained as late as December or even Janu-ary in Europe and 
North America. The apetalous wind-pollinated perfect flowers are produced in early autumn, small and incon-spicuous. The fruit is a samara, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 10–13 mm long by 6–8 mm broad. 
The samara is mostly glabrous, the seed at the centre or toward the 
apex, borne on a stalk 1–3 mm in length; it matures rapidly and 
disperses by late autumn. The trunk has a handsome, flaking bark 
of mottled grays with tans and reds, giving rise to its other common name, the Lacebark Elm, although scar-ring from major branch loss 
can lead to large canker-like wounds.[

Tree of the Month for July for Advanced

Species: Portulacaceae
Common name: Portulacaria
Species: afra

Elephant Bush, is native to South Africa. In nature they will 
reach 12 feet (4 m) in height with an equal spread. In containers, they will stay much smaller and their size is easily controlled with selective pruning and pot size. The attractive reddish-brown 
stems with dark green ¾ inch (2 cm) leaves make a great bonsai plant with very little care involved. They are hardy in USDA zones 10-11 where they are used as hedges.

Blooming Time: In the spring, they have clusters of small, inconspicuous pink flowers.

Tree of the Month for August for Beginner

Species: Haematoxylum campechianum
Common name: Campeche

by Emilio Gonzalez

Logwood was used for a long time as a natural source of dye, 
and still remains an importance source of haematoxylum, which
 is used in histology for staining. The bark and leaves are also used
 in various medical applications. In its time, logwood was considered 
a versatile dye, and was widely used on textiles but also for paper. 
The dye's color depends on the mordant used as well as the pH. It 
is reddish in an acidic environments but bluish in alkaline ones.

Tree of the Month for August for Intermediate

Species: Haematoxylum campechianum
Common name: Campeche

Logwood was used for a long time as a natural source of dye, 
and still remains an importance source of haematoxylum, which
 is used in histology for staining. The bark and leaves are also used
 in various medical applications. In its time, logwood was considered 
a versatile dye, and was widely used on textiles but also for paper. 
The dye's color depends on the mordant used as well as the pH. It 
is reddish in an acidic environments but bluish in alkaline ones.

Tree of the Month for August for Intermediate

Species: Taxidoium distichum
Common name: Ball cypress

Bald cypress trees naturally grow in the extreme southeastern 
United States, primarily in the coastal plain from Delaware to 
central Florida and along the Gulf Coast into the lower Mississippi River basin. It occurs in east Texas, Mis-souri and southernmost Illinois and Indiana. This water-loving tree grows in moist
woodland areas and along the edges of swamps. It does not necessarily need lots of rain-fall, but occasionally flooding or 
soggy soils across the year favors its growth and health.