Q for Quercus

While Q may have been a challenging letter for other categories, Quercus was the obvious answer for an alphabetical list of bonsai trees. It’s the genus that holds the mighty oak trees, which are prized in the bonsai community. There are been so much lore and mysticism around these magnificent trees, dating back to B.C. times in sacred circles.

You’ll love having an oak tree as a bonsai. They have these unique lobed leaves that make them fascinating to behold, while you’ll also love the acorns that form. If you have wild squirrels in your area, you’ll probably see them investigating your oak bonsais outsides if they’re bearing seeds. This genus is spectacular to look at and simply be around.

I tried growing an oak tree once from an acorn. I visited the Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, now called the Company Gardens. There’s an avenue of English and Turkey oak trees overhanging the lane. I took a few Turkey oak acorns and tried to germinate them. Some went moldy, while others just didn’t open. Only one made it, which I grew into a seedling before deciding to plant it in my backyard. It didn’t like it at all. I’ll have to try again one day.