Can You Bonsai An Avocado?

This is a controversial topic and the short answer is YES, you CAN grow an avocado as bonsai …but you also CAN’T.

So let’s go through the reasons why you can and cannot grow an avocado as a bonsai and workout why this isn’t always so straightforward.

Lets start with the negatives and get them out of the way.

Why You Can’t Make A Bonsai Out Of An Avocado

• Avocados are fast growing, which is normally fine, but their growth is thick and course. Trying to get fine branching on an avocado is almost impossible, which is not ideal for bonsai.

• The thick course growth can also make wiring difficult. It needs to be done when the shoot is young and flexible. This will make styling an avocado as a bonsai harder.

• The leaves are massive and they do not reduce much over time, which is not desirable for a bonsai.

• From my experience they seem to dislike root work being done to them so it will be hard to keep them in a small pot.

• When pruned an avocado will bud back, but not as reliably as other trees. Often you will not get to two shoots (bifurcating). So building structure and ramification as a bonsai can be hard.

• Avocados will never be very small and trying to keep them small is difficult.

The overall consensus from bonsai growers is that Avocados do not make good bonsai. They do not respond well to bonsai techniques as well as other species do and it is hard to produce good results.

They are often favoured by beginners who soon give up on the tree when they realise that there are more pleasing and easier species to work on.

Why You Can Grow An Avocado As A Bonsai

• Avocado seeds are easily available. All you need to do is go to the local supermarket and buy an avocado and keep the seed.

• They are very easy to germinate. You just need to keep one end of the seed in water and it will sprout and start growing.

• Avocadoes are tropical plants, so they need to be protected from the cold, which means they are suitable for growing inside.

• They are relatively easy to look after. They can be slightly fussy in the beginning, but once you get their conditions right they will grow really well can be trouble free.

• Although they have large leaves and course growth, which means they will never be small, they can be grown as a larger tree. If you try and keep it as small as you can, it may still be possible to keep it at around 1m tall. This is large in the bonsai world, but not uncommon. An avocado grown to this size may be able to look in proportion in regards to its leaves and overall structure.

How I Have Grown My Avocado Tree

I have personally been growing an Avocado tree since 2015. I am still not sure if it’s a “bonsai”. I am just growing it and trying to keep it small and we will see what happens.

You can follow its development in my – Avocado Tree Progression.

I am leaning more towards calling it an “indoor tree” since it is not really a bonsai.

I have found the reasons that you can not grow them as bonsai to be true. I think they are really not suited for bonsai. I have had much better results with other species in a much shorter time.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t like my avocado. I love it. I think it is beautiful it its own right.

I want to try and keep mine as long as possible and as small as possible. I am fully aware of its difficulties and non-cooperation, but that won’t stop me.

My plan is to try and keep it around the 1m tall mark. I’m am hoping that at this size, the tree looks proportionate and acceptable as “miniature”. Currently it is about 30cm tall, so It still has plenty of space to develop into.

How I look after my Avocado Tree

If you are looking for general care information pleasure read my Avocado Care Guide

I have used pretty much most bonsai techniques on my Avocado with mixed results. You can watch my videos on my tree here

I have root pruned my tree and found it doesn’t quite like it. I had a lot of die back when I last pruned my roots. I didn’t go to hard, but it was hard enough to upset it.

I find it will bud on old wood, but where exactly the shoots bud is unpredictable. When I have trimmed branches back, it does not always split into two new branches at this point.

My tree loves lots of light. It is now growing so much better since placing it under a grow light.

I try to keep the soil moist at all times. They seem to handle drying out a little bit. They do drink a lot when they are growing, but they do not like to be too wet. I find I end up watering smaller amounts, but more often to combat this.

My Advice To You About Growing Avocado Trees As Bonsai

I think if you want to grow an avocado, as a bonsai, you should. So long as you are aware of what they will be like and you are realistic about what can be achieved, I don’t see what the problem is.

The way I see growing avocado is like comparing it to professional sports, let’s say the NBA. Top level bonsai growers are like LeBron James. One of the best. He plays in the best league with the best teams and surrounded by other players that are equally as good.

Now you have me and my avocado. We are not the best. We are out on my driveway trying to dunk, but I‘m 2 foot too short to even touch the rim.

We are quite the world apart, but are we both playing basketball? … I’d say yes.

I’m out on my own with one net and zero skill, but my heart says I am the same as these pro athletes with their professional teams in big courts surrounded by hundreds of fans.

The same can be said for bonsai and growing avocado. I know it’s not the best tree, but in my heart I’m still treating it like it’s a 500 year old yamadori  juniper.

The important thing is I am aware that I am not the best at basketball and I know I never will be, but I’m still happily playing. I also think if one of the pro players drove past, they would give me thumbs up and encourage me to keep practicing my dunking.

I also know my avocado tree is not the best, but I’d like to think anyone of any bonsai level would see me trying and give me a thumbs up.

Unfortunately that doesn’t quite happen in the bonsai world. Some growers seem to think avocados as a waste of time and belittle people for even entertaining the thought of growing one.

Such is life.

So my advice is to grow your avocado. If you want to do bonsai techniques on it and call it a bonsai, that’s totally fine.

If anyone says you are wasting your time, remind yourself of how much fun you’re having and ignore them.