Japanese beech

Japanese beech shares European beech's marcescent winter leaves and smooth grey bark, but with a naturally finer branch structure and smaller leaf that many growers find suits the compact scale of bonsai slightly better. Growth is slow, asking the same patience its European relative does.

Care at a glance

Watering

Never let it dry out fully in leaf. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 1 in summer, 2 in autumn and 7 in winter.

Light

Full sun to light shade.

Winter

Hardy once established; loses its leaves and rests through winter. Protect it when the forecast drops below -8 °C.

Feeding

Every 14 days, Apr to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.

Repotting

Every 2 to 3 years, as buds swell, in Feb or Mar.

Growth

Slow growing. Hardy in zones 5 to 7.

The work calendar

Styles that suit it

MoyogiChokkanSokan

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