General: The Chinese elm is native to China and the island of Taiwan. The plant grows as a tree and can be up to 25 meters high. The leaves are usually evergreen and the bark is smooth to slightly barked with age. But there are also different subspecies that differ, for example, in that the leaves are completely shed or the bark develops a pronounced bark.
Care as a bonsai: There is hardly any other plant that is so suitable for bonsai culture as the Chinese elm. It is very easy to cut and particularly easy to care for. It tolerates a wide variety of site conditions and is tolerant of cultural errors. Due to the small leaves, the proportions appear very harmonious within the design. This species can also be raised to expressive trees simply by pruning. The branches can also be wired without any problems. For healthy growth, we recommend a bright location (in summer also outdoors) as well as adequate irrigation and fertilization. New shoots are initially allowed to grow, but before they get too long or begin to harden, they are cut back. This leaves 2 to 3 new leaves on the shoot. In winter, the Chinese elm is best placed a little cooler (5 ° C). In warmer temperatures, it also grows in winter, which, due to the lack of light, usually leads to elongated and unsuitable shoots.
Special features of the variety: Compared to the species, the dwarf elm has particularly small leaves and dense buds. This enables even finer designs and even with small bonsai the size ratio between the leaves and the trunk is still very advantageous from an aesthetic point of view.
