30 Types of Bonsai Trees (Indoor) With Pictures: Full Chart

Georgette Kilgore headshot, wearing 8 Billion Trees shirt with forest in the background.Written by Georgette Kilgore

Forestry, Trees and Tree Planting | March 7, 2024

Types of Bonsai trees indoor purple beech bonsai tree.

When looking for different types of bonsai trees (indoor) that you can keep within your home or office, a visual reference is immensely helpful. Bonsai tree pictures not only allow you to choose a plant that complements your aesthetic, but also lead you to a tree that you can personally connect with upon a single look.

However, finding these references can be a bit of a tricky task. To turn this process into a walk in the park, the following full chart guides you through 30 indoor types of bonsai trees that you can nurture under your own roof.

30 Types of Bonsai Trees: Indoor Varieties

The following are types of bonsai trees you can keep indoors.

1. Cotoneaster (Gorgeous Bonsai Fruit Tree)

Boasting of deep green leaves that practically shine under the light, the cotoneaster is a sight to behold. While widely available as a shrub, you can also adopt the cotoneaster as a bonsai tree that you can care for indoors.

  • Leaves: Short and thick, bearing a deep green that turns a vibrant red color in fall.
  • Flowers: They are white in color. As a bonsai fruit tree, Cotoneaster also bears red, yellow, and orange fruit.
  • Bark: Peeling bark that gives the tree a rustic appearance.
A bonsai tree in a blue pot on a wooden bench beside a water basin, against a wooden fence backdrop.

(Image: F. D. Richards7)

2. Japanese Maple (Japanese Bonsai Tree)

This Japanese bonsai tree is one of the most versatile types of indoor, miniature trees to grow under your roof. Apart from the different types of Japanese Maple trees to choose from, you also get the benefit of witnessing them change colors throughout the year. This lets you style this maple tree in a way that showcases your personal aesthetic.

  • Leaves: Fine to the touch. Shape varies upon the type of the tree.
  • Flowers: Mostly red and subtle with a distinct growth against the leaves.
  • Bark: Colors can range from green to red, adding to the vibrancy of the tree.

3. Baobab (Voted Best Trees for Bonsai)

While the Baobab tree is known for its magnificent presence across the wilderness of Africa, it is also one of the best trees for bonsai. With its thick trunk and sturdy branches, it exudes an image of strength within indoor environments.

  • Leaves: A five-blade shape that is attached to a single base, boasting of a deep green color.
  • Flowers: They hang from the stems towards the ground. They are white in color, with petals covering the pistil.
  • Bark: Smooth to the touch. It is typically gray with a pink tinge to it.

4. Juniper Bonsai

As one of the most resilient tree species that thrives in difficult environments,1 the Juniper bonsai tree is popular for its strength. With foliage that resembles scales and a trunk that twists and bends in a nearly-fantastical form, the Juniper bonsai earns the attention for all the right reasons. However, you need a little more planning than usual to grow this bonsai tree indoors.

  • Leaves: They are scale-like, closely-knit, and deep green in color.
  • Flowers: Yellow flowers that appear across the foliage.
  • Bark: Rough, brown, and twisted across the trunk and branches.

5. Ficus Bonsai Benjamina

The Ficus bonsai is known for its thick and sturdy trunk that establishes its look as a tree full of wisdom and age. By adopting Ficus Benjamina, you can get a bonsai tree that has different layers of foliage.

  • Leaves: The leaves are small, shiny, and supple to the touch, with a rounded base and a pointed tip.
  • Flowers: The tree typically bears pale yellow flowers.
  • Bark: The light-brown bark is slightly rough and has a gray hue to it.
A bonsai tree with a thick trunk and vibrant green leavesin a textured blue pot, set against a dark teal wall.

(Image: Ron Frazier8)

6. Ficus Retusa

Another species of the Ficus bonsai tree, the Ficus Retusa has green leaves that appear at the top of the tree. This marks a distinct difference from the layered foliage and branches of Ficus Benjamina.

  • Leaves: The light-green leaves are small and appear at the tip of the branches that face upwards.
  • Flowers: Typically, flowers have a white and yellow appearance.
  • Bark: It is light gray and slightly rough to the touch.

7. Bodhi

If you want to have a bonsai tree that holds a dramatic look, the Bodhi tree might be suitable for you. With an array of aerial roots that form an exoskeletal shape, this bonsai tree brings the theater to your room.

  • Leaves: Small in size, with rounded edges and a pointed end. They bear a light green to dark green color.
  • Flowers: They are red, white, and yellow in color. Some of them hold a pinkish hue.
  • Bark: The bark is smooth and gray in color, which adds to the tree’s enigmatic look.

8. Crape Myrtle

Crape Myrtle is yet another dramatic-looking bonsai tree that brings a distinct aesthetic to your home. In the fall, its white bark and rust-colored foliage makes it look just as good in a modern decor as it does in a rustic one. But it needs additional care to be grown as an indoor bonsai tree.

  • Leaves: In spring and summer, they are light green, with thriving foliage upon
  • Branches. Fall colors are vibrant shades of red and orange.
  • Flowers: They can bloom in different colors including white, lilac, and purple.
  • Bark: The bark is light gray to white and provides a great contrast with the brightly-colored foliage.

9. Pomegranate

Pomegranate is a popular bonsai fruit tree that is known for its sparks of red fruits and flowers among a backdrop of green leaves and greenish-gray trunk. The twisted formation of these trees further adds to their looks. But it is the dash of orb-like fruits that really make this plant a sought-after indoor bonsai tree.

  • Leaves: Long, green, and spaced apart from the base.
  • Flowers: Red and orange-colored bell-like flowers, which bear fruits in similar colors.
  • Bark: Greenish-gray with a slightly brittle texture.

Common Indoor Types of Bonsai Trees

In addition to the nine listed above, some other varieties of bonsai make great indoor choices for anyone who wants to begin this hobby, but doesn’t necessarily have the outdoor climate to accommodate them.

The following bonsai trees are common with beginners and each deliver a pleasing and lovely addition to any room.

10. Common Beech

If you are looking for types of bonsai trees (indoor) that blend freshness and mystery in their looks, the Common Beech might spell out the end of your search. With its prolific foliage and strong trunk, this Eastern European tree is perfect for large yards.2 But when grown as a bonsai tree, it brings the same quality under your roof.

  • Leaves: They are typically different shades of green, but show off fall colors with copper and bronze foliage.
  • Flowers: They grow in clusters and display a green color with a yellow hue to it.
  • Bark: It is gray in color and smooth to the touch.
A bonsai tree with autumn-colored leaves in a shallow black pot, set against a light grey wall backdrop.

(Image: Ron Frazier9)

11. Jade

Through its rubber-like leaves and elevated branches that face the sky (or the ceiling in the case of indoor types of bonsai trees), the Jade bonsai tree turns heads for all the right reasons. Once you learn how to care for a bonsai tree you can enjoy seeing this plant thrive under your care.

  • Leaves: They are succulent, light green, and soft to the touch.
  • Flowers: Small white clusters of flowers may bloom after years of care.
  • Bark: The bark is a very light brown for young plants, but turns a dark brown when the tree matures.

12. Satsuki Azalea (One of the Best Trees for Bonsai)

Due to its fantastic growth of colorful blossoms, the Satsuki Azalea is one of the best trees for bonsai flowers. This makes it a great addition to rooms with a more playful aesthetic. These bonsai trees call for additional considerations to thrive indoors.

  • Leaves: They are green and have a blooming appearance to them.
  • Flowers: They are pink, delicate, and grown across the branches and leaves.
  • Bark: It is brown and slightly rough to the touch.

13. Fukien Tea

In addition to being one of the most popular indoor types of bonsai trees, Fukien Tea is also quite easy to take care of by beginners. In addition to these qualities, this tall bonsai tree can also be an excellent addition to your home or office with its refreshingly green look.

  • Leaves: Out of the two types of Fukien Tea trees, one of them sprouts smaller leaves that are ideal for bonsai. These glossy leaves are light to dark green and have a distinct vibrancy to them.
  • Flowers: They are small, have a five-hand formation, and appear clearly white in color.
  • Bark: It is a dark brown color that is slightly flaky and offers a great contrast with the green foliage.

14. Chinese Elm

In case taller types of bonsai trees hold your heart, you can look at the spectacular Chinese Elm to keep as a bonsai tree. Through its tall height and impressive foliage, it can easily act as the focal point of your indoor plant collection.

15. Adenium (Best Indoor Bonsai Tree for Beginners)

In case you want the best indoor bonsai tree for beginners, Adenium can easily fit the bill. With a sturdy trunk, plenty of flowers, and thriving leaves, these trees can provide you with the ideal decor for your office as well as any room within your home.

  • Leaves: Green in color, they are distinctly arranged in a spiral formation towards the end of the branches.
  • Flowers: They are dark and light pink, bloom towards the tips of the shoots, and create a contrast against the green leaves.
  • Bark: It is a faint to dark green
A bonsai with a bulbous trunk and vibrant pink and white flowers in a pot.

(Image: Tatters ✾10)

16. Pine

As you look through bonsai trees for beginners, you may want to adopt a Pine tree to keep in your home and office. With its tall form, distinct leaves, and wonderful scent, a Pine tree also seems like a logical choice for an indoor plant. While it is quite possible to care for it indoors, you need to keep rotating its placement between indoor and outdoor locations for best results.

  • Leaves: Group of pine needles, called fascicles, are distinctly identifiable due to their structure and green color.
  • Flowers: Pine trees grow pinecones. In a Pine bonsai tree, you can also find tiny pinecones.
  • Bark: In younger trees, the bark is smooth and light brown. In mature trees, it is a bit rougher and a darker shade of brown.

17. Banksia

In case you want to adopt types of bonsai trees (indoor) that can grow in different environments, Banksia trees can fulfill your requirements with ease. Since a Banksia tree has a thick trunk, sturdy branches, and plentiful foliage, it can also emulate the appearance of a fully-grown tree within your indoor pot.

  • Leaves: They are long, green, and boast of a serrated or point-toothed look along their edges.
  • Flowers: They can grow in yellow color and boast a variety of shades.
  • Bark: It is slightly textured with a light brown to gray color.

18. Ginseng Ficus

Another one of the Ficus bonsai trees, the Ginseng Ficus is known for its characteristically sturdy bark as well as its upwards-facing foliage. This sculpture-like tree can grow well indoors, but it does need some extra warmth every now and then. This means that you need to make arrangements to move your bonsai tree to your backyard or front lawn every now and then.

  • Leaves: They are oval in shape and dark green in color.
  • Flowers: They are typically bright pink, but can also take various shades of the pink family.
  • Bark: It is rough and has a greenish tinge to its gray color.
A ficus bonsai with a thick root structure and lush green leaves is displayed in a brown oval pot on a table within an office environment.

(Image: Ron Frazier12)

19. Indian Banyan

With aerial roots that slide upwards and stand proud on their own, the Indian Banyan bonsai tree brings the look of a small forest within an indoor plant. The majestic natural topiary of green leaves on the top completes this aesthetic for a majestic appeal.

  • Leaves: The leaves are deep green and known for their leathery and lustrous appearance.4
  • Flowers: They are yellow in color and appear sparsely across the leaves.
  • Bark: The bark is brown to gray in color. The roots are smooth while the trunk has a flaky texture.

20. Dwarf Jade

As a succulent tree, the dwarf jade has all the characteristics of the best indoor bonsai tree for beginners. Through the leaves that bloom across its upwards-facing branches, it also delivers a positively theatrical look for any modern home or office. After learning how to trim a bonsai tree you can easily achieve these visuals for your dwarf jade.

  • Leaves: They are soft, light green, and have a squishy feel to them.
  • Flowers: They are white or pink, have a five-petal bloom, and appear across the shoots.
  • Bark: Initially, the bark is smooth to the touch but holds a rough feel afterwards.

21. Pachira

Also known as the moneytree, the Pachira bonsai blooms with glossy, large leaves that are strewn across the top of the tree. With its twisted trunk and vividly-colored foliage, it can bring a delightful earthiness and freshness to any room.

  • Leaves: They are shiny, crisp to the touch, and bright green in color.
  • Flowers: They are either ivory or yellow with a green tinge, but have red ends.
  • Bark: It has a slightly roughened bark that is brown in color.

22. Brazilian Rain Tree

The Brazilian Rain Tree bonsai plant emulates the feeling of growing a typically large tree in its miniature version. This makes it one of those types of bonsai trees (indoor) that highlight the wonders of this art form. However, it needs some extra care and growth lights if you want to keep it indoors all the time.

  • Leaves: They are bright green to dark green in color. They also have a compounded and dense growth.
  • Flowers: They are white and have a spike or needle-like shape.
  • Bark: It is brown in color and grows flaky in texture.
A bonsai tree with a thick, trunk and a dense canopy of small green leaves in a large, shallow, brown pot, with a small potted grass on a wooden table.

(Image: Cliff11)

23. Birch

Through the distinct shape of its leaves and the delicate outline of its branches, Birch bonsai has a distinct fairy tail quality to it. This makes it a seamless addition to those environments where you want to emulate a serene or artful feel.

  • Leaves: They are light green in color, with a triangle shape that is serrated at the edges.
  • Flowers: They grow in the form of catkins that are a mix of yellow, brown, and green.
  • Bark: It is white mixed with gray, green, and reddish-brown, with a bumpy and textured feel to it.

24. Cedar

Another one of the most popular trees known for their fragrance, the Cedar bonsai tree can appeal to your sense of smell just as much as it works for your sense of sight. But in order to use them as indoor types of bonsai trees, you need to put some extra care into the process.

  • Leaves: They are distinctly shaped and offer the appearance of a scalelike formation.
  • Flowers: They can be different shades including yellow and light blue.5
  • Bark: It is flaky and has a rusty, reddish-brown color to it.

25. Flames of the Forest

When it comes to indoor types of bonsai trees that bloom in a magnificent fashion, you cannot look past the Flame of the Forest. Also called the Sacred Tree, this plant is a must-have for you if you want a splash of color in your bonsai or indoor plant collection.

  • Leaves: They are small, glossy, and mostly-oval shaped. They are bright green to green in color.
  • Flowers: They display a reddish-orange color, with their petals emulating the visuals of flames.
  • Bark: It is gray in color and rough to the touch upon the tree’s maturity.

26. English Elm

With its thick trunk, sideway shoots, and bright foliage, the English Elm bonsai tree makes you feel like you have brought a touch of the forest home with you. If you need a wisened-looking tree that adds depth to your environment, this might be the ideal fit.

  • Leaves: They are serrated across the edges with an oval shape and a vibrant green color.
  • Flowers: They are red, pink, and white in color and hang from the branches.
  • Bark: It is light brown in color and has a roughened feel to its texture.

27. Mulberry

Besides being one of the best trees for bonsai, Mulberry is also a bonsai fruit tree. In addition to sprouting shiny leaves, the tree also brings about the growth of vibrantly-colored berries, which makes it just as much of a conversation starter as a sign of your love for nature.

  • Leaves: The leaves are glossy, serrated on the edges, and bear a deep green color.
  • Flowers: Flowers are grown across the shoots and offer red, pink, and purple-colored berries.
  • Bark: The bark is white to gray and has a bumpy feel to it.
A bonsai tree with a twisting trunk and yellow autumn leaves in a shallow brown pot on a table with wooden fence in the background.

(Image: Teresa Grau Ros13)

28. Bougainvillea

With its delightful, vibrant, and flourishing appearance, the Bougainvillea emanates joy in any room. The plant needs protection from extremely cold temperatures, which makes for favorable conditions to grow it indoors. But you still have to be extra careful about taking care of this bonsai tree.

  • Leaves: They range from medium to dark green, with their appearance varying between different shapes. Some leaves of the Bougainvillea look like flowers.6 Known as bracts, they are bold purple in color.
  • Flowers: They are smaller than bracts. They have a yellowish-tinge with purple markings.
  • Bark: It is green and slightly smooth.

29. Snow Rose

Boasting of the calming combination of deep green leaves with white flowers, the Snow Rose bonsai is fit to elevate any environment that you put it in. With most of its foliage growing across the top, it has the classic storybook tree aesthetic that makes it a delight to look at.

  • Leaves: They are light green to deep green with a glossy finish.
  • Flowers: They are white and bloom across the leaves to deliver a contrast of colors.
  • Bark: It is light green to light brown in color and has a smooth feel to it.

30. East Asian Cherry

The East Asian Cherry or Japanese Flowering Cherry bears the distinctly pink flowers that make cherry trees so popular around the world. With its contrast of colors against the full bloom and dark bark, it is a magnificent addition to any home or office.

  • Leaves: They are deep green in color and grow across the shoots.
  • Flowers: They are pink and bloom throughout the branches.
  • Bark: it is dark brown in color and smooth to the touch.

How To Choose Between Different Types of Bonsai Trees (Indoor)?

With an array of options at hand, it can be a bit daunting for you to choose between indoor types of bonsai trees.

Bonsai tree identification chart showing juniper bonsai leaves, flowering crabapple bonsai flowers, Pine bonsai tree, pomegranate bonsai seeds, and bodhi bonsai bark.

That’s where a few key points can help you make an informed decision.

  • Personal Experience. If you have little to no experience in growing a bonsai tree, pick one that needs minimal care. This lowers your stress and increases your chances of growing a healthy bonsai tree.1
  • Sunlight Requirements. Some trees may need more sunlight than others, which would require you to keep them by a window. On the other hand, some trees thrive in indirect sunlight and need you to make additional arrangements for their care.
  • Outdoor Exposure. Certain trees need to be placed outdoors from time to time in order to thrive.  This calls for additional care to help them flourish. This also holds true for trees that need outdoor exposure in the spring and summer but require indoor protection in colder months.
  • Ideal Aesthetic. Some bonsai trees have a tall and formidable feel to them, while others have a floral and delicate look. Consider how your ideal plant may fit into your indoor environments before adopting it as a bonsai tree.

By considering these factors, you can pick indoor types of bonsai trees that hit all the right notes for your aesthetic and responsibilities. This way, you can get the most out of adopting different types of bonsai trees (indoor).

Read More About Types of Bonsai Trees Indoor

References

1National Park Service. November 20, 2020. The Indomitable Juniper. The Indomitable Juniper – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service). October 10, 2022. Web. <https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/utahjuniper.htm>

2NC State Extension. n.d. Fagus sylvatica. Fagus sylvatica (Common Beech, European Beech) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. October 10, 2022. Web. <https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/fagus-sylvatica/>

3Gilman, Edward F.; Watson, Dennis G.; Klein, Ryan W.; Koeser, Andrew K.; Hilbert, Deborah R.; and McLean, Drew C. Originally published: November 1993; Revised: December 2018. ULMUS PARVIFOLIA: CHINESE ELM. ENH-809/ST652: Ulmus parvifolia: Chinese Elm. October 10, 2022. Web. <https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST652>

4Wikipedia. Banyan. n.d. Banyan – Wikipedia. October 10, 2022. Web. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan>

5Lake Forest College. n.d. Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) Cupressaceae. Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) Cupressaceae. October 10, 2022. Web. <https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/environmental-studies/juniperus-virginiana-(eastern-red-cedar)-cupressaceae>

6University of Florida Gardening Solutions. n.d. Bougainvillea. Bougainvillea – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. October 10, 2022. Web. <https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/bougainvillea.html>

7F. D. Richards. CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/50697352@N00/19765527838/sizes/l/>

8Ron Frazier. CC BY 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomronworldwide/24343350017/sizes/l/>

9Ron Frazier. CC BY 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomronworldwide/31105836747/sizes/l/>

10Tatters ✾. CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/tgerus/8141532133/sizes/l/>

11Cliff. CC BY 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/3502433154/>

12Ron Frazier. CC BY 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomronworldwide/29472376703/in/photolist-ZUdfkC-LUnCMV-2kR7WZd-28atUSA-cmQ5Jq-cjTmeu>

13Teresa Grau Ros. CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed. Resized and Changed Format. Flickr. Retrieved from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/teresa_grau_ros/40577476020/in/photolist-24PGaVw-2hJKYJp>