My name is Stephanie Shorb and I live in Oregon, in a rainy, rather cold climate, in Powers. I want to get a bonsai tree but don't know if it will grow in my area. The hottest it gets here in the summer time is 85-90 degrees, is that warm enough? Where is the best place to buy bonsai?

Thank you!!

Stephanie S.

Just like you have plants which grow in your region perfectly well, so will your bonsai. It is a good idea to use plants native to your area as you do not have to worry too hard about trying to accommodate them to your climatic conditions. 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit as a maximum however is perfectly fine to grow bonsai. You could grow any type of maple - Japanese Maples (Acer Palmatum) are particularly beautiful, you could also grow Junipers, flowering quince, almost all deciduous trees. I think your main concern would be how cold it gets, but that can be overcome by bringing sensitive plants indoors for the winter. Just don't attempt to grow any tropical plants - which have to go indoors for winter - if you do not have the right setup or are inexperienced in the ways of bonsai, which from your letter you tell me that you are.

As for where you should buy bonsai - the best place of course would be a professional bonsai nursery. Try to stay clear of the shopping malls selling cheap, temporary bonsai with glued on rocks - it's not a good start. If you don't have a proper bonsai nursery in your area or any clubs which you can attend that would have occasional stalls selling bonsai, you could turn to your local nursery who may sell some bonsai - or may have some potential bonsai material which with practice, you could turn into bonsai. This of course means that you would have to read into this process before doing so. Alternatively, if you wish, you could order your bonsai over the Internet from a reputable mail-order company, however I would not recommend this if you have other options.

Regards,

Dan