When choosing a tree at a nursery, bear in mind all the cha acteristics that make a good bonsai, then try to find a tress that shows potential in as many of these criteria as possible. Find a species that has been proven to develop into a good bonsai, as this will make it very much easier for you to achieve success.
You can experiment with other species, but you must remember that the final bonsai needs to be a credible natural image, not an odd species of tree with big leaves and sparse branching that has been grown in a pot.
The surface rootage on a bonsai is a difficult feature to create, so when you are looking at stock trees it is best to scrape around the base of the tree with your fingers or a stick to see if there is an attractive trunk flare that leads into well-formed surface roots. Be careful not to scar or damage any roots that you uncover. Moving up from the base, you should look for a pleasing trunk line with branches, twigs or buds in good positions that can be developed into branches on the bonsai. You should also have some idea of where the apex is going to be and whether there are suitable options for a live or dead apex, depending on the overall look of the tree. A final bonus would be old, flaky bark on the trunk that completes the illusion of an ancient tree.
Nursery owners can spot bonsai growers from a long way off because their behaviour is totally different to that of ‘normal’ customers. When looking for a tree for your garden you will generally look for one that is nice and straight with a well- developed trunk and as tall as possible, so that it will fill the space in the garden as soon as possible. Bonsai growers, on the other hand, spend most of their nursery visit on their hands and knees, rooting around the bases of the trees to try to find an attractive, stubby trunk, with a well-formed root base that can be used as a good start for a bonsai. It is also a good idea to try to find the nursery’s ‘junk’ pile of plants that are damaged in some way and so cannot be sold to the normal customer. You can often negotiate a good price for these trees as well.
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