There are approximately 100 quality display specimens in the bonsai collection at The North Carolina Arboretum. There are more than 100 others in various stages of development. All of the plants in this extensive collection have been either donated by private individuals or created at the Arboretum from seedlings, cuttings, nursery culls or plants collected from the landscape.

The Arboretum’s bonsai collection is botanically diverse. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm; tropical plants such as willow leaf fig and powderpuff; and American species such as baldcypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina.

That desire to connect bonsai with the Southern Appalachian experience has become an identifying characteristic of the collection. It has led the Arboretum to practice and promote bonsai as an engaging horticultural activity, first and foremost, without attaching it to a requirement of appreciation of any particular foreign culture. 

Although the common conception of bonsai places great emphasis on the supposed age of the tree, the Arboretum readily acknowledges that its collection contains few genuinely old specimens. With the exception of those that have been started at the Arboretum, the ages of the plants are generally unknown.  Although there are several specimens believed to have been collected originally from nature that have the appearance of being ancient, no attempt has been made to ascribe to them any numerical age. Instead, the emphasis at the Arboretum is placed on the health, botanical interest and artistic design of each bonsai in the collection.

Initially, a bonsai collection was not part of the Arboretum's vision. In 1992 the institution serendipitously received a donation of a large number of plants and containers from Mr. and Mrs. George Staples of Butner, NC. Other donations followed as longtime bonsai enthusiasts in the region recognized the value of the Arboretum’s involvement, and contributed prized specimens from their personal collections. Sustained public support has been a key ingredient in the success of bonsai at The North Carolina Arboretum.

Simultaneous with the development of the bonsai collection has been the creation of an educational program to cultivate a more sophisticated audience for the plants. As a result, the Arboretum is now a center for bonsai activity in the Southeast. Among the many American bonsai notables who have visited and provided educational support are: Yuji Yoshimura, Chase Rosade, Ben Oki, David DeGroot, Jim Doyle, Rodney Clemons, E. Felton Jones, Randy Clark,  William Valavanis, Jim Barret, Dan Chiplis and Peter Adams. International authorities hosted by the Arboretum include: Susumu Nakamura (Japan), Qingquan Zhao (China), Walter Pall (Austria) and Harry Tomlinson (United Kingdom). The work of a number of these artists is included in the collection.

The bonsai collection of The North Carolina Arboretum is, like the art of bonsai itself, a dynamic entity. New additions are made periodically by the acceptance of suitable specimens from supportive donors. There is an ongoing effort to introduce new and different plant species to bonsai culture, with particular emphasis placed on native flora. Even the established pieces in the collection are subject to change, as refinements are made to their design and new ideas considered for their presentation.

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity. It has a long and colorful history and enjoys a worldwide following of dedicated enthusiasts who hold a wide variety of ideas about the subject. At The North Carolina Arboretum, bonsai is a vehicle for achieving an institutional mission: cultivating connections between people and plants.  

"Mt. Mitchell"

The 2006 Carolina Bonsai Expo
Saturday, October  13, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Click here for more info

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden is open Monday through
Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m..

The Greenhouse is open for visitation Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

The Greenhouse is closed on weekends and state holidays, but tours are often provided on weekends at 4 p.m. 

Read more about the Arboretum's bonsai collection: 
(Most of these documents require Adobe Reader . This software can be downloaded for FREE. Just click here.)

• "Bonsai Appalachian Style" (article from American Gardener magazine, September/October 2004; reprinted with permission from the author, photographers, and American Horticultural Society.)
• "Thinking Small" (article from Our State magazine)
• "ABS Journal" article (This file may require some time to download.)
• North American Bonsai Federation newsletter #2, Feature #4 
• "The Art of Bonsai" (Knoxville News-Sentinel article)