Tree #301 is an 18-year-old Chinese Elm with real presence — a thick, curving trunk that snakes upward through a full, layered canopy about 16 inches across. It stands 24 inches tall in a hand-painted Chinese pot (10″ × 10″ × 9″) decorated with plum blossoms and a songbird, finished with a red clay rim and footed base. The pot alone is a keeper; together they make a striking display tree.

Chinese Elm is the classic first bonsai — forgiving if you miss a watering, happy indoors near a bright window or outside in gentle sun, and quick to bounce back after a trim. The tree in these photos is the exact tree you’ll receive, hand-raised at our Southern California nursery.