There are round 30 to 40 tree species from the ulmus genus however the most typical bonsai species used for bonsai is bonsai elm parvifolia or Chinese language elm bonsai. They’re favoured by novices as a result of they’re the hardiest compared to different elm bonsai. Nonetheless, fans who love challenges have cultivated different elm bonsai species and succeeded in it. On this article, I’ll record these different species that may be cultivated as bonsai and can evaluate them with Chinese language elm bonsai. I’ll give attention to the Traits, care necessities, and suitability as a bonsai.
Let’s begin with Chinese language elm bonsai or;
1) Chinese language elm bonsai or bonsai elm parvifolia :
Traits:
- Widespread identify: Chinese language elm or lacebark elm bonsai.
- Leaves: The leaves of Chinese language elm are often a deep inexperienced colour, shiny in texture, and are organized within the leaflet alternately.
- Twigs and bark: Greyish brown in colour. Clean at a younger age and can develop roughness with age. The trunk has a lace-like texture and due to that, its different standard identify is lacebark elm.
- Fruit and flower: They do produce white flowers and dry brown samara as fruits but it surely’s not widespread in bonsai.
- Progress behavior: Vigorous, upright, and good crown density.
Care Necessities:
- Gentle: They’re semi-indoor bonsai, which means they’ll survive each indoors and open air. Filtered daylight is greatest for this bonsai.
- Water: They adore it when their soil is barely moist. As a common rule of thumb water when the topsoil is dry to the touch is good. However, they do endure draughts to some degree.
- Lacebark elm Pruning: They’re good with heavy pruning and can forgive your errors throughout pruning.
- Pest and illness: In comparison with different elm bonsai they’re immune to pests and illness.
Suitability As A Bonsai:
Chinese language elm is the proper tree for bonsai. They’ve a compacted nature, they’ll endure totally different atmospheres, they’re indoor-outdoor and immune to pests and illnesses.
2) Siberian Elm (Ulmus Pumila Bonsai):
Traits:
- Widespread identify: Ulmus pumila bonsai.
- Leaves: Leaves of ulmus pumila bonsai are organised alternately alongside the branches. They’re small, rectangular, toothed, pointed on the tip, and barely tilted on the base.
- Bark: The bark is a pale gray-brown with distinctive grooves and within the wild, it’s usually streaked with stains brought on by bacterial wetwood.
- Flower: Produce reddish-green flowers between March and Could. It’s not widespread in bonsai.
- Progress behavior: Mature bushes have gray trunks and weeping branches. Their trunks are brittle and within the wild, they simply break off by robust wind.
Care Directions:
- Gentle: They want full solar to partial shade.
- Water: They want common watering to thrive and love when the bonsai soil is barely moist continuously.
- Pruning: They will deal with heavy pruning to a reasonable degree. Attempt to prune in spring and summer time when their development may be very a lot lively.
- Pest and illness: They’re immune to such elm illness however can get attracted by elm beetles.
Suitability As A Bonsai:
Not as appropriate as Chinese language elm bonsai however they’re arguably the second-best elm species used for bonsai cultivation.
3) American Elm (Ulmus Americana):
Traits:
- Leaves: Leaves are organized in another sample, the association will not be complicated, 3-6 inches lengthy, round 3 inches large, broadest at or base the center with tough, sawtooth rims.
- Bark: Their bark is gray, in cross-section with lined brown and white layers, grooves deep, and ridges flattened with delicate carefully clustered scales.
- Progress behavior: A medium-sized tree that’s in maturity with flaring branches making a broad-spreading, fan-shaped cover.
Care Necessities:
- Gentle: They do greatest in full solar.
- Water: They want fixed watering and they’re extra susceptible to droughts and over-watering compared to Chinese language elm.
- Pruning: They develop quickly like every other elm bonsai so that you would possibly must prune them greater than yearly to maintain their form.
- Pest and illness: They’re suspectable to many pests and illnesses, most notably the Dutch elm illness.
Suitability As A Bonsai:
It’s solely appropriate in case you are planning for a bigger bonsai. Their leaves are giant and they’re inclined to pests and illnesses. These two drawbacks make them unsuitable for bonsai.
4) English Elm (Ulmus Procera):
Traits:
- Leaves: Deep inexperienced leaves which are tough to the touch.
- Bark: Their bark is rugged, giving the looks of years of wrestle.
- Progress behavior: Similar as Chinese language elm bonsai- upright, robust with a heavy crown.
Care Requirement:
- Gentle: They love the total morning solar to partial shade.
- Water: Much less hardy when it comes to watering compared to Chinese language elm bonsai. They want common watering with out getting waterlogged.
- Pruning: Identical to every other elm species they’re okay with heavy pruning.
- Pest and illness: Like American elm, they aren’t inclined to withstand pests and illness, that is one among their main drawbacks.
Suitability As A Bonsai:
Their development behavior and construction make them match for bonsai cultivation, however their delicate nature in direction of pests and illnesses makes them unfitting for bonsai.
Why Is Chinese language Elm The Greatest Elm For Bonsai?
Compared to the Chinese language elm with these different elm bonsai varieties, the Chinese language elm stands out for its stability, adaptability, and practicality for various bonsai types. Its small compacted leaves and development behavior, pest and illness resistance, and modern look make it a favorite amongst bonsai growers. Whereas different elm varieties just like the American, English, and Siberian elms every have their distinctive allure, additionally they include challenges akin to vulnerability to illness and unfitting traits akin to bigger leaf sizes. Nonetheless, the selection of elm selection will depend on your preferences.