Tags

, , , ,

I sometimes collect trees for bonsai. For my bonsai-curious readers, this means I will sometimes find a perfectly healthy plant and dig it out of the ground so I can keep it in a pot. 

There are folks out there who really don’t like this idea. And on face value, I get it. Why would you take it out of the ground? We need more trees, not less! 

I get it, but I am here to tell you that if you are concerned about preservation of our woody friends, a few tree-loving bonsai enthusiasts are not your problem. Check out this horrific scene!


That hill use to be dotted with small trees including some that had potential for a future as bonsai. I have collected a few young Virginia pines from this site, in fact. In the spirit of protecting the power lines, the power company sent in some big, horrendous machinery which left this carnage in its wake. So many more trees that might have survived, if only I had put them in a pot!

So don’t worry about some bonsai folk digging a few trees. But do hold them to a high standard. There are ethics to digging bonsai material, after all. Just a  few rules I follow are :

  • Always get permission from the landowners!
  • Fill in holes and clean up the collection site. 
  • Collect with preservation in mind by leaving trees for the future. 
  • Leave trees that are sure not to survive collection.

A couple more I would add if you are interested in trying to collect for bonsai. Start small. Start low stakes because some will die. And if you can, start with a friend who has had some experience and some success.