MAME OR SMALL SHOHIN-SPECIES VARIETY RECOMMENDATION- Ficus, Kingsville Boxwood, Bucida Spinosa, Neea

Hi!

Could you guys recommend what exact variety I should try looking for these species.  I am looking for the smallest leaf sizes.
I have several painted Japanese pots that I am debating whether to keep or let go to make room for other bonsai dreams
But if I can make a nice mame or small shohin that goes well with the pots, it will surely be fun to add a little more illustrative or suggestive bonsai in my local club shows.


Ficus, Kingsville Boxwood, Bucida Spinosa or Black Olive and Neea

Other species recommendations are welcome too.  Sharing pictures of your bonsai will be nice to see too! TY in advance!

seiju elm has about the tiniest leaves out there...
along with hoikado elm (but those are difficultly brittle i have learned)
koto hime maple is another good one...

You seem to be growing indoors immA,

so you can look for Gmelina, Serissa s. [ Chinese type ], the Chinese elm types, Sageretia t [ Sparrow's plum ]
Cuphea h., Fukien tea [ small leaf type ], bird tongue Podocarpus, as well.

See the work of Jack Wickle.
Good Luck.
Khaimraj

Some suggestions for smaller bonsai.

#1 recommendation - Cotoneaster
Millettia japonica microphylla - dwarf wisteria, tiny foliage (no flowers though)
Crepe Myrtle - Chickasaw and Pocomoke varieties
Shimpaku juniper
Satsuki azalea - some varieties have very small leaves.
Spruce, black hills, black, ezo varieties have small foliage

boxwoods - just look for varieties of Buxus microphylla.

Thanks guys! Keep them coming for the benefit of newbies too.

What about ficus? Besides willow leaf, which kind would be the smallest leaf?

get the book "majesty in miniature - shohin bonsai" by morten albek.

immAGinoso wrote:Thanks guys! Keep them coming for the benefit of newbies too.

What about ficus? Besides willow leaf, which kind would be the smallest leaf?

I have a dwarf ficus clump/forest that's about 1 1/2" tall and wide. Leaves 1/8" to 1/4"
Sorry, I don't know the variety, as it was a gift.

Dave Leppo wrote:I have a dwarf ficus clump/forest that's about 1 1/2" tall and wide.   Leaves 1/8" to 1/4"

dave - i would LOVE to see a forest/clump less than 2" tall !!!
if you dont mind showing it, that is...

Hokkaido elm.
Seiju elm.
Yatsabu said elm.
Morris midget boxwood.
Coto neater.
Barberry.
Nana procumbens juniper.
Kotohime Japanese maples.
Some Dwarf species of mugo pine.

I am familiar with 2 dwarf ficus, Ficus 'too little' and "melonseed.' You can also get dwarf natal plum and serissa with small leaves, there are other tropical with small foliage.

Problem is that you need a specialist to find these plants. (We're lucky here in Maryland, we have MeehansMiniatures with many many types of tropicals)

i am fortunate that martha and the gang come to chicago !!!

even though i am culling most trops from the herd, one i do not want to get rid of is the dwarf crepe myrtle i got from them a coupla few years ago... at the risk of sounding a little less than manly, it is adorable.

Does anyone know if any Chinese Elm can be treated as an indoor Tropical Bonsai year round?  I mean sitting beside a ficus, serrissa, podocarpus, Barbados cherry where it will receive the same humidity and same plant lighting that is pretty good?  One nursery here sells this kind of Chinese elm...

The Chinese elm on our side [ Tropics ] will rest from Christmas until February. May drop leaves or
hold them, depends on the type. There are around 10 or so cultivars sold as the Chinese elm.
There is also a yatsubusa sold out of Canada.

The Barbados or West Indian Cherry ------- the one with edible fruit is a full sun shrub.
The other two Malphigia types, can handle some shade.
Not sure what you have, so I give a generalised response.
Laters.
Khaimraj

Not listed on the lists so far,

Serissa - nice small leaves, tolerate some shade, or prefer some shade. And can bloom well even indoors. Not everyone can grow them, but if they do well for you, they are a great choice. Somewhat slow to ''trunk up'', but otherwise easy to work with.

Eugenia - need a very bright light garden or a fairly sunny window.
Malpighia - some need light as for Eugenia, some are more shade tolerant.
both genera have a number of excellent small leaved varieties. All the common names include the word cherry, and this makes the common names useless. Bush cherry, brush cherry, Barbados cherry, Surinam cherry, these names get so confusing. Most have edible fruit, some are definitely better tasting than others, none are poisonous.

Jaboticaba - a bit difficult indoors, need bright light to do well, has smallish leaves, does not tolerate very low humidity well, but if you can keep it happy it is a wonderful bonsai.

Malpighia coccigera - Singapore holly, this is a nice one with holly like leaves. Berries are not good tasting. Tolerates shade, but tighter growth in brighter light. Good one if your apartment never gets cooler than 70 F or 18 C.

Carissa natalensis - or Natal Plum - loves full sun, makes a good indoor in winter, outdoors in summer bonsai. related distantly to gardenia. Meehan's has a cultivar with really tiny leaves. Mine is too small to have a trunk yet, still very wispy looking.

Gardenia - normal forms have leaves that are a bit large for what the OP requested. But there are some smaller leaf cultivars available. Once developed as bonsai, the leaves reduce well. Better for a cooler in winter indoor collection.

Azalea - the florists azalea does not need much of a winter dormancy, they are hybrids between Satsuki types and the Taiwan species R. simsii. They are not cold tolerant, temperatures more than a few degrees below freezing will kill them. Because of the R simsii parentage, if put outside in summer, and allow to stay out during early autumn, they will often bloom in winter, as the autumn chill would have been enough to set the flowers. The florist's azaleas you see in bloom now, (November - December) are Rhododendron simsii hybrids.

No one has mentioned Premna mycrophyla.  Leaf size can be reduces to an amazingly small size.  If you google Robert Stevens premna you can find some incredible mame bonsai.  
They are tropical and propagate well from cuttings.

immAGinoso wrote:Does anyone know if any Chinese Elm can be treated as an indoor Tropical Bonsai year round?  I mean sitting beside a ficus, serrissa, podocarpus, Barbados cherry where it will receive the same humidity and same plant lighting that is pretty good?  One nursery here sells this kind of Chinese elm...

''


I cant seem to make the pictures appear here.. heres another try...