Do Bonsais Produce Flowers?

A lot of people do not realise that bonsai can grow flowers and in fact this is sometimes the only reason we grow certain species.

Flowers on bonsai usually bring a lot of questions which I have tried to cover here, so if you are only finding out that bonsai can grow flowers then hopefully the information below will help you. 

Why Do Bonsai Flower?

Flowers are just the reproductive system of the tree and as bonsai are just normal trees that are kept miniature, they will flower too.

The way the tree reproduces is every clever as they are able to spread their seeds without actually having to moving themselves. The flowers will turn into seed and these will get dispersed in a number of different ways.

A lot of tree species will have flowers that turn into fruit with seeds inside, which will get eaten by animals. The seeds will not be digested and pass through the animal and the seeds will grow where ever they are pooped out, which will hopefully be away from the mother tree.

Some tees will use other methods, such as maples, who will produce the little helicopter seeds that will get blow in the wind.

Either way the results are the same, the flowers are to produce seeds so the tree can spread and grow more trees, this is just how trees reproduce.

(You can read more about – Do Bonsai Trees Produce Fruit?)

When Will A Bonsai Flower?

Knowing exactly when a bonsai will flower can be difficult to predict. Usually trees flower when they reach a mature stage and are strong enough to reproduce. However, bonsai trees are kept in very different environments than a tree growing in nature.

Living in a pot and being constantly worked upon can slow things down and it can take a bonsai slightly longer to flower than a tree growing in nature. You also need to remember that a lot of the flowers grow on the tips of branches, which we often prune back, meaning if we are constantly pruning it will never grow flowers.

However, this does not mean it’s impossible. Your bonsai is still a tree so there is no reason why it will eventually not flower. So long as it is old enough and has the right conditions then it will develop flowers. You may have to stop pruning it for a while to allow the flowers to develop, but this will really depend on the species you are growing.

What Time Of Year Will Bonsai Flower?

When exactly a tree will flower really depends on the species. A lot of trees will flower in spring, but really it can be at any point in the growing season and even into autumn.

You would really need to research your individual species and see at what point they usually flower, but as I just discussed above there can be a number of things that effect if your bonsai will flower or not.

Should You Remove The Flowers Or Keep Them

Keeping the flowers really depends on your goals. Personally I think they look great, so why not enjoy them. They are also all a part of the trees natural cycle, so I’m happy for them to its thing.

However, they can take energy from the tree. They are going to use a lot of resources to grow them and if you are focusing on growing your tree out then having the resources going elsewhere is not ideal. If you cut them off your tree will just go back to putting its energy into growing again, so it can make sense to remove them at times.

As much as I am trying to grow out a lot of my trees, I am happy to watch them flower and if that means it takes me a few extra seasons to reach my goals I am happy with that.

You should definitely remove them once they wilt. Doing this it a lot easier than letting them fall off and having to clean up the mess.

What Do People Actually Do?

I was wondering if people let their trees flower or not …so I asked my youtube subscribers and this was the result:

As you can see, 92% let their trees flower. I would imagine this is because they enjoy seeing the flowers and they feel it is worth the slight loss in potential growth they could have got instead by removing them.

I let my trees flower for this reason, and I think it is worth it.

How Do You Make A Bonsai Flower?

You can’t directly make a bonsai flower, but you can certainly help it have the right conditions to encourage it to do so.

Really you just need to keep your tree healthy and it will eventually flower when it is ready to. This may take a couple of years, but it will eventually feel strong enough to do this.

You may also need to let it grow out and not prune it. This will be especially true for the species where the flowers develop on the tips. Pruning the tree back is just going to remove the flower buds …but of course not pruning it back may mean it loses its shape, which is also not ideal.  

Do You Have To Care For Them Differently When They Flower

If your tree does flower you will not really need to change anything. You will just treat it as normal and care for it in the same way.

However, you may find they may need more water at this time as they pushing a lot of resources into producing the flowers.

This shouldn’t be a problem though as I will assume you know how to understand your trees needs and give it extra water if it is looking like it needs it.

(You can read more about – How To Water A Bonsai)

Can You Change The Colour of The Flowers?

Unfortunately you cannot change the colour, as its all genetics. You will often see azaleas with white or pink flowers and sometimes trees have both colours at the same time.

This is very cool, but it just the genetics of the individual tree. I am sure they have been selectively breed to be able to have this mix, so really the only way to get this yourself is to get a species that can do this.   

Can You Change The Size Of The Flowers?

Again the size comes down to the genetics of the tree. If we look at azaleas they have quite large flowers. It doesn’t matter what size your bonsai is, they are always going to be that size, it is just how they are. 

How Long Do Flowers On A Bonsai Last?

How long your tree is in flower for will really depend on the species. Usually flowers last a week or so.

You may find your tree is covered in flower buds, but they do not all open at once, so you mind find it takes a few weeks for all of them to open, even if the individual flowers themselves do not last this long.

What Species Of Bonsai Are Grown For Their Flowers?

While most species will develop flowers, they are often not really desirable on bonsai. The flowers may be small or ugly and just not really that interesting.

However a number of trees are growing because they do flower and very beautiful and they are the main characteristics we what to display as bonsai.

Azalea

Azalea are probably the most famous flowering bonsai, they are pretty much solely grown for their flower and this is understandable as they are very impressive.

Azalea flowers are quite large and if you can get your tree to be covered them,  you actually won’t be able to see any green, they just look like they are made out of flowers, which is very cool.

Cherry Blossom/Prunus

Cherry blossom trees are extremely popular in japan as full grown trees and there is actually a sort of festival where everyone goes to the parks and enjoys the start of spring and more importantly the beautiful blossom.

So it is no surprise that these are also grown as bonsai, however, prunus actually are great trees even without the blossom. I have one and its one of my favourite trees and it has never actually flowered. It is still too young, but in time it will and it will only make me love it even more.

The flowers are small and not really impressive by themselves, but when they whole tree is covered in them they can look extremely impressive.  

Bougainvillea

Bougainvilleas are actually vines, but they are still popular as bonsai. They can look similar to azleas, there flowers can be quite large and usually pink. They also can cover the whole tree, making it hard to see any green, which always looks very cool.

If you have a good specimen they can look extremely impressive. This is a species I’ve never grown as a bonsai myself, but it would be something I would consider in the future.   

Wisteria

Wisteria is not as popular as bonsai, but you do see some. I think this is to do with the fact that they don’t really look good unless they are very mature and have a powerful trunk.

The flowers on these are pretty cool and they are usually why people want them. They are often a light purple colour and sort of drape off the tree, sort of like a bunch of grapes, but a lot lighter and more beautiful looking.

I’ve only seen these as full size plants but I would really like to see one as a bonsai in person, especially in flower. I think they can look really impressive.

Conclusion

As you can now see flowers are something that may grow on your bonsai. So long as your tree is healthy and happy it may grow flowers, however, it is down to you to decide if you want to enjoy them or not.

If you have a species that has beautiful flowers, you should enjoy them, and if your species flowers are not as pleasing, well maybe you can still enjoy them for what they are as well.