G for Gardenia

The Gardenia is smaller in comparison to Ficus and Eucalyptus, but it still has more than 100 species. Native to Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, it has gorgeous flowers against dark green leaves. In the wild, the foliage is usually large with broad leaves and fat blossoms. As a bonsai, you’ll have to learn how to keep these elements small with constant pruning. 

Technically, the genus consists of bushes and small trees. While they may not grow as tall as many other trees, we still develop them as bonsais. The flowers are stunning, and they give off a pleasant aroma. Some natives of the Pacific Islands even use them in organic products, but we won’t be doing that with our bonsais. For us, they’re purely ornamental so we can feast our eyes on them.

I’ll be honest, I never considered having a Gardenia as a bonsai tree until I started managing our Bonsai Alchemist website. It’s not really a bonsai I’ve seen much of in my area, but perhaps I need to widen my gaze. Although, I could do what I did with my azalea; buy a small bush/tree from my local shop and then transform it into a bonsai. I seem to have a knack for doing that.