Good source for tropicals?

[electraus]

Are there any reputable sources for more developed tropical pre-bonsai? I know there’s Wigert’s but I’m specifically looking for a bougainvillea and they don’t have one on their website at the moment. I don’t think there are any bonsai nurseries that even sell tropicals within driving distance of me, so having it shipped is not an issue to me, but that’s why I’m looking for a nursery or vendor that is reputable and knows what they’re doing.

 

[Colorado]

Wigerts is my personal favorite for tropicals. You might try giving them a call - I believe it has been posted here previously that they have lots of inventory that isn’t necessarily posted on the website. I bet they have bougainvillea…LOTS of them!

 

[Carol 83]

Just e-mail them (Wigert's), address is on their website. Tell them what you're looking for and they will even send pictures.

 

[penumbra]

Ditto^^^

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I'm surprised you can not find bougainvillea bonsai in CALIFORNIA. Wigerts is in Florida, a good 2500 miles or so away. Seriously, there has to be many nurseries in southern California with bougainvillea. I would start with the San Diego Bonsai Society, see if they have vendors that sponsor their club meetings. Bougainvillea are hardy outdoors in the San Diego area, you should be able to find bougie bonsai without having to travel more than the distance From San Jose to San Diego.

 

[BrianBay9]

Are there any reputable sources for more developed tropical pre-bonsai? I know there’s Wigert’s but I’m specifically looking for a bougainvillea and they don’t have one on their website at the moment. I don’t think there are any bonsai nurseries that even sell tropicals within driving distance of me, so having it shipped is not an issue to me, but that’s why I’m looking for a nursery or vendor that is reputable and knows what they’re doing.

Have you tried Grove Way Nursery, 1239 Grove Way, Hayward, CA 94541 ?

 

[electraus]

Have you tried Grove Way Nursery, 1239 Grove Way, Hayward, CA 94541 ?

Was just there with my brother a couple of weeks ago. Really nice place with some impressive (and quite massive) display trees but saw no tropicals, unfortunately.

 

[electraus]

@Colorado, @Carol 83, @penumbra don't know why I didn't think that a nursery as large as Wigert's wouldn't possibly be able to list all of the trees they have for sale on their website. I reached out and surprisingly, they do not have any bougainvillea pre-bonsai at the stage of development I was looking for, but they have some pretty gorgeous bald cypresses that won me over. I'm going to keep looking for a bougainvillea until the end of this week, and if I can't find one, I'm gonna go for one of the BCs. Maybe I'll buy both. How much would it cost to add another tier to one of my cinderblock benches anyway ?

 

[Colorado]

@Colorado, @Carol 83, @penumbra don't know why I didn't think that a nursery as large as Wigert's wouldn't possibly be able to list all of the trees they have for sale on their website. I reached out and surprisingly, they do not have any bougainvillea pre-bonsai at the stage of development I was looking for, but they have some pretty gorgeous bald cypresses that won me over. I'm going to keep looking for a bougainvillea until the end of this week, and if I can't find one, I'm gonna go for one of the BCs. Maybe I'll buy both. How much would it cost to add another tier to one of my cinderblock benches anyway ?

that’s the spirit!

 

[penumbra]

May be a reach, but have you looked on eBay. I don't make a habit of it and what people sell on eBay as bonsai can be a stretch, but I do have a look see time to time. Today I saw a number of bougies.

 

[nuttiest]

May be a reach, but have you looked on eBay. I don't make a habit of it and what people sell on eBay as bonsai can be a stretch, but I do have a look see time to time. Today I saw a number of bougies.

but CA has serious agricultural import rules, ebay sellers do not like to ship there.

 

[penumbra]

but CA has serious agricultural import rules, ebay sellers do not like to ship there.

Maybe. But people in CA sure do like to ship plants out. I have probably bought 40 plants out of CA.

 

[electraus]

May be a reach, but have you looked on eBay. I don't make a habit of it and what people sell on eBay as bonsai can be a stretch, but I do have a look see time to time. Today I saw a number of bougies.

I once found a super fat and gnarly P. Afra on eBay that was honestly kind of a gem. It even had a bit of taper, which I’m not sure how much you’ve worked with this type of material, but it’s not super common. Ever since then, I hold out hope for the rare diamond in the rough on eBay.

Did you happen to see any specific bougies that you liked/were interesting? All I see is straight logs and finished bonsai.

 

[penumbra]

Did you happen to see any specific bougies that you liked/were interesting? All I see is straight logs and finished bonsai.

Honestly, I wasn't looking for Bougies, I just saw quite a few. I have enough (more than enough) tropicals right now.
I think eBay is very hit or miss. I have gotten some great stuff there but you really have to wade through it.

 

[BillsBayou]

Are there any reputable sources for more developed tropical pre-bonsai? I know there’s Wigert’s but I’m specifically looking for a bougainvillea and they don’t have one on their website at the moment. I don’t think there are any bonsai nurseries that even sell tropicals within driving distance of me, so having it shipped is not an issue to me, but that’s why I’m looking for a nursery or vendor that is reputable and knows what they’re doing.

The garden "nurseries" in San Jose make my brain hurt. Google's results show a lot of little boutique shops selling houseplants. Hard to weed through all of that. Greenfield Nursery in San Martin has a PDF of 2022 prices with 15-gallon bougainvilleas selling at $65. That incredible if true.

Check with local landscaping companies. I have to think that Silicon Valley residents are always overhauling their properties. Here in New Orleans, if I see a landscaping truck in a nice neighborhood, I stop to see what's going on.

There's always the $50 and a bag of dirt option. Drive in the outskirts of the area where less affluent people live. Find a house with a nice bougainvillea and a bad lawn. Knock on the door. Explain who you are and offer them $50 for the tree. Fill the hole with the dirt. I'm not sure of the ethical implications despite earning A-grades in "Computer Ethics" and "Business Ethics." All the good grades taught me is that there might be an ethical conundrum in buying up someone's front yard. Roll with your conscience on that one.

As a sub-scheme of the previous option, you can try garage sales. I can think of three reasons for a garage sale: Need money; Just moved in; and About to move out. These people are already selling things for what they can get. What's another $50 for a shrub? A friend of my daughter had just moved into a new house. They were digging up parts of the previous owner's landscaping. My offer was to dig up their 5 huge boxwoods for free. (Gee, ain't I helpful?) Never told them how much I got when I sold two of the trees.

I used to live in Rancho Mirage, California (Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs). As I recall, there was a local ordinance regarding permits for digging up existing trees. You'll want to check into that first.

 

[electraus]

The garden "nurseries" in San Jose make my brain hurt. Google's results show a lot of little boutique shops selling houseplants. Hard to weed through all of that. Greenfield Nursery in San Martin has a PDF of 2022 prices with 15-gallon bougainvilleas selling at $65. That incredible if true.

I know what you mean about the garden nurseries. Not a single good one in the entire valley

This is pretty incredible. So incredible that I almost actually don’t believe it. I might just have to rent a truck and take a drive over to San Martin this weekend to check it out myself. If it actually ends up being anything halfway decent, I may save myself a few hundreds of dollars on this purchase. This was helpful. Thanks!

 

[OTown]

@Colorado, @Carol 83, @penumbra don't know why I didn't think that a nursery as large as Wigert's wouldn't possibly be able to list all of the trees they have for sale on their website. I reached out and surprisingly, they do not have any bougainvillea pre-bonsai at the stage of development I was looking for, but they have some pretty gorgeous bald cypresses that won me over. I'm going to keep looking for a bougainvillea until the end of this week, and if I can't find one, I'm gonna go for one of the BCs. Maybe I'll buy both. How much would it cost to add another tier to one of my cinderblock benches anyway ?

If you're willing to pay shipping for a tree from Wigerts, call Larry at Thunderstruck Bonsai. He is in Saint Petersburg FL and has a few good bougainvillea right now.

 

[BillsBayou]

I know what you mean about the garden nurseries. Not a single good one in the entire valley

This is pretty incredible. So incredible that I almost actually don’t believe it. I might just have to rent a truck and take a drive over to San Martin this weekend to check it out myself. If it actually ends up being anything halfway decent, I may save myself a few hundreds of dollars on this purchase. This was helpful. Thanks!

Call ahead. I only saw the price list. You will have to see if they have anything at all before you go. Given that summer has ended, nurseries may cut down on their tropical stock. Then again, the stock may be in sale. Good luck.

 

[electraus]

If you're willing to pay shipping for a tree from Wigerts, call Larry at Thunderstruck Bonsai. He is in Saint Petersburg FL and has a few good bougainvillea right now.

Contacted him. He doesn’t ship to California yet but he said that he’s just waiting for his nematode testing, which will be back in a month or two. I’m excited to see his stock though. Had never heard of Thunderstruck Bonsai