Big store flowering trees for bonsai?

[ceriano]

I was checking a couple of local big box stores and they all have received their spring tree shipment. Lots of non grafted cherries and crab apples. what species of crab apple and prunus are typically used for bonsai? Anything I can find at big box store?

 

[Eckhoffw]

I was checking a couple of local big box stores and they all have received their spring tree shipment. Lots of non grafted cherries and crab apples. what species of crab apple and prunus are typically used for bonsai? Anything I can find at big box store?

Must be nice. look for a good base and yeah, should make for good projects.

 

[KikurageOtomo]

I was checking a couple of local big box stores and they all have received their spring tree shipment. Lots of non grafted cherries and crab apples. what species of crab apple and prunus are typically used for bonsai? Anything I can find at big box store?

Big box stores aren't generally very privy to carrying highly sought after bonsai cultivars. Good news on the other hand is everything they carry locally is quite likely to be successful in your area, I'd highly suggest experimenting with some material that seems to have the attributes you're looking for. For Crabapple Ive seen Malus sylvestris and spectabilis. Cherries are going to be a much wider category since Prunus extends into apricots and some other obscure pitted fruit, a couple options; Prunus mahaleb, incisa, virginiana, mume, americana, serrulata.

 

[Shibui]

Species and cultivar is not so much of a problem. Almost all crab apples make great bonsai. Cherries are OK but harder to manage due to disease and pests.
Good choices for bonsai are rarely the same as commercially supplied plants from the big box stores where vertical trunks with no taper are better.
You can still make good bonsai from big box store trees but it may take another 5-10 years to solve the problems from commercial growing.
Choose carefully whether the price justifies the extra years of recovery and development

 

[ceriano]

Big box stores aren't generally very privy to carrying highly sought after bonsai cultivars. Good news on the other hand is everything they carry locally is quite likely to be successful in your area, I'd highly suggest experimenting with some material that seems to have the attributes you're looking for. For Crabapple Ive seen Malus sylvestris and spectabilis. Cherries are going to be a much wider category since Prunus extends into apricots and some other obscure pitted fruit, a couple options; Prunus mahaleb, incisa, virginiana, mume, americana, serrulata.

Super helpful thank you!