Let it snow!

In most areas of the country, snow is simply a part of winter. In the South, however, it *may* come once per year and most of the time that doesn’t stick to the ground. We had a really good snow this year though, and for some of my bonsai, it was their first time to deal with it. We got about 4 inches a few weeks ago (yes, I’m just getting around to blogging about it), but even with that much, it was gone by lunch. Nevertheless, here’s some pictures.

My 2nd Costa Farms Bonsai

My last Costa Farms bonsai, which some would refer to as mallsai, has turned out to be one of my favorite trees in my collection.  People love the S-curve even though most bonsai artists would call it boring and unimaginative.  I love the low-maintenance and toughness of the Ficus Retusa species.  It stands up to the heat of the South and my beginner mistakes, not to mention that it grows quickly.  I have a tough time finding Ficus Retusa or Tigerbark Ficus trees in my area, and I never know what I’m going to get online unless I’m prepared to pay over $100 for a finished bonsai.  So, the latest aquisition is again another Ficus Retusa that I found at Wal-Mart with interesting movement (again, in my opinion).  Here it is:

bonsai, ficus retusa, south

Bonsai list for the South

I have attempted to put together a list of suitable bonsai for the Southern United States.  I would not say it’s complete, but something I’m trying to put together as a reference for beginners trying to take up bonsai as a hobby in the South.  If you have any additions or any species that you have successfully raised in zone 8, please post them in the comments.  I did not list tropical species since those are not specific to zone 8.  Also, some trees may be listed in some books as being fine in zone 8, but may result in stunted growth or constantly weak due to heat stress.  I have tried to leave these trees off.

The Deep South Bonsai List