Add Color To Your Lawn With A Blooming Outdoor Bonsai

When people think of Bonsai, they usually think of small indoor plants, usually kept on a countertop, table, or mantle. However, among collectors, some of the most prized Bonsai are blooming outdoor trees, which can create a beautiful and dynamic effect in your front yard.

Generally, outdoor Bonsai trees are no harder to care for than indoor trees, although most breeds will need to be brought into shelter during freezing winters. For that reason, they're best kept in a pot, like other Bonsai. Besides that, they can be styled just like indoor Bonsai and help give your lawn a truly dramatic appearance.

Here are a few of our favorites!

Four Gorgeous Outdoor Bonsai To Enliven Your Lawn

1 - Satsuki Azalea

In Japan, the Satsuki Azalea is one of the most prized of outdoor Bonsai. It's a cultivar of the rhododendron, which has been grown on the mountainsides of Japan for centuries.

It's easy to see why the Satsuki Azalea is so beloved: Every spring, it fully blooms with a variety of reds, pinks, and purples, creating a truly lovely garden piece. Furthermore, it's an evergreen and quite hearty, able to withstand and recover from multiple repottings over the course of its life.

With a little TLC, a Satsuki Azalea could add amazing colors to your spring lawn, year after year.

2 - Camellia Sasanqua

It's hard to pick a favorite Bonsai tree, but the Camellia Sasanqua -sometimes also called Camellia Hot Flash- is at the top of a lot of lists. This amazing tree doesn't bloom in the Spring - it blooms in late fall, with brilliant pink flowers, and retains them throughout the winter.

Like most Bonsai, freezing temperatures can kill it. However, for those with temperate winters, the Hot Flash can bring you a colorful front yard when every other blooming bush is losing its color.

Additionally, the Camellia Sasanqua is one of only a few camellia strains whose leaves contain caffeine! If you press and dry the leaves, you could make tea from your Hot Flash bonsai. Additionally, the oil from its leaves and nuts is also used in a number of herbal remedies.

3 - Dwarf Pyracantha

If you want an outdoor Bonsai that really makes a statement, look no further than the Dwarf Pyracantha.

This evergreen has lovely green leaves year-round, as well as a late-spring bloom of starry-white flowers that pop in any outdoor setting. Things get even better in the fall, when brilliant clusters of tiny red berries sprout all over the tree. These generally last through December, giving it a great Christmas-y feel.

And the best part? The berries are semi-edible, unlike other Christmas species like mistletoe. They're bitter when raw, but can be cooked into an absolutely delicious jelly that's a real holiday treat. This is another outdoor Bonsai that's beautiful and functional.

4 - Japanese Flowering Quince

The Japanese Flowing Quince has a truly distinctive look, with relatively few strong, angular branches that sprout eye-catching red\white\pink blooms in late spring. It's an extremely hearty species, and is able to adapt to even stressful Bonsai training programs with ease, making it an excellent choice for unique shaping.

Additionally, like the Pyracantha, its fruit is edible. It sprouts small, yellowish fruit that are relatives to apples and pears. They're generally too bitter to eat raw, but can be enjoyed after being cooked, or -as with Pyracantha- as a jam or jelly.

Any one of these could be a marvelous addition to your home. And if you're nervous about graduating to outdoor Bonsai, please don't hesitate to contact the experts here at BonsaiOutlet with any care questions!