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I have a great store for native bonsai material outback nurshery in hastings I was wondering which tree species is good to start with I like red fall color and one that backbuds and has small leaves
Best beginning decidious native tree to start with
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BrianBay9
Masterpiece
Where (generally) do you live?
BonsaiManic
Shohin
That's the question.
You can input this information into your profile so you don't have to tell us every time.
As this forum has enthusiasts from all over the globe, we can't answer your question, as every region has specific natives. We don't know if you are Northern or Southern hemisphere, wetlands, prarie, alpine, desert, coastal, etc.
You can input this information into your profile so you don't have to tell us every time.
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I live in st paul mn zone 4
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
Title says "...Native Tree..." So the native equivalent is the American elm.
kale
Shohin
Im in 5b and have been developing an ash sapling I found in my yard in the ground. I know its not the best bonsai species but I shocked at how much abuse it can take and always responds to drastic chops and rootwork with lots of vigor.
Gert
Mame
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Ah I must have breezed through the title and body too quickly. Lol, clearly a reading comprehension loss on my part.
Javaman4373
Shohin
I vote for Larix laricina, tamarack, readily found in bogs in northern climes. It gives you a nice yellow fall color (sorry not red) and a bare branch winter silhouette. Some people use Red Maple.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
I missed the "red fall color" part. American elm will be yellow. There is a relative of the burning bush called Euonymus americanus with small leaves and red fall color. It's native range is a good bit south of you, but you could get by with it in a pot with winter protection.
WNC Bonsai
Masterpiece
Elm, hornbeam, hawthorn come to mind. Any of your local woody vines. Larch are nice but can be tricky for newbies and can be sensitive to root work. I grow them here outside their native range and went through 20 just to get 8 to live but you may have better luck that far north.
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Thank you for getting back to me ill try some next year
Javaman4373
Shohin
By the way OP, larch collect well in the fall, if you dig them as the foliage is turning yellow. The bogs they prefer tend to have a lower water table at that time too.
Gabler
Masterpiece
If you're in zone four, it's good you're avoiding Japanese trees. One thing that you should bear in mind is that plants which are cold hardy in your region are not necessarily cold hardy in a pot in your region. For example, crape myrtles grow just fine in my area, but in pots, they tend to suffer a bit of dieback to the twigs over the winter. That's because I'm at the very northern edge of where they grow well, and putting them into a pot increases the severity of temperature swings. Since you're in zone four, you should look for trees hardy in zone three or colder, and even then you should place your trees on the ground and protect them from the wind.
Gabler
Masterpiece
For what it's worth, I love Acer rubrum. I've been sowing lots of seeds in an attempt to find individual trees with smaller leaves.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
The National Audobon society eastern native tree guide has a native tree by fall color section... If I can find mine I will post. Youll need to check hardiness but with a little winter care, you should have plenty of options. Red Maple and Northern Red Oak come to mind immediately as wellnas hawthorns and dogwood.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Eastern:
My version of the western guide does not have a similar leaf color section.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
Very cool. The American burning bush has been mentioned. Most oaks will make good bonsai, so you could try those native to you.
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I like Sourwood and flowering dogwood
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Not sure they carry either
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