Regional Bonsai Care: Native North American Species

摘要

Our Regional Care Series this month focuses on the use of bonsai material developed from species native to North America. Specifically, we are seeking to define which native species of trees are suitable for growing as bonsai in different areas of thecontinent. We still, perhaps justifiably, regard the classic Japanese species as the ideal, and to some extent ignore our own native species. In fact, there is very little information in most bonsai books about native North American species, with most information sources limited to journal articles. And in many instances, descriptions about the care of American material as bonsai are oriented towards care in their own region; for example, there is very little in the literature about whether one can maintain a California juniper in the Midwest, or a buttonwood in the north. Thus, for this issue of Bonsai we've decided to explore what grows where.