Wholesale Artificial Bonsai Trees: The Complete Trade Guide

Our artificial bonsai range is deliberately small: seven lines from 45cm to 60cm tall, made up of five ficus-style bonsai (Aglaia odorata at two sizes, Nandina, Tropical and Banyan), a red maple and a luxury pine. Five ship in plastic weighted pots, the red maple in a wide, shallow pot and the pine in a ceramic pot. Bonsai work best as an accent line added to a wider plant order, and this guide covers what each one is, how to present it and how to buy it.

The bonsai range at a glance

All seven lines are sold singly and all are indoor products. Compare them with other desk and shelf-scale plants, with live stock, in our desktop and small artificial plants hub, or see the full bonsai trees collection.

Bonsai	Height	Width	Supplied pot	Colour
Aglaia odorata bonsai ficus	45cm	20cm	Weighted pot, 10 x 10cm	Green
Aglaia odorata bonsai ficus	60cm	30cm	Weighted pot, 15 x 13cm	Green
Nandina bonsai ficus	60cm	30cm	Weighted pot, 15 x 13cm	Green
Tropical bonsai ficus	60cm	30cm	Weighted pot, 15 x 13cm	Green
Banyan bonsai ficus	60cm	30cm	Weighted pot, 15 x 13cm	Green
Red maple bonsai	50cm	55cm	Weighted pot, 22.5cm wide x 8cm high	Red
Luxury pine bonsai	50cm	60cm	Ceramic pot as shown, 19cm wide x 9cm high	Green

The table shows the real split in the range. The ficus bonsai are upright and narrow (20 to 30cm wide) in deeper pots; the maple and pine are wider than they are tall, in shallow pots, which is the classic bonsai silhouette. That difference decides where each one can go.

Ficus bonsai: five lines, two footprints

The five ficus-style bonsai share a format: an upright trunk and canopy in a plastic weighted pot, with wired stems so the branches can be shaped and positioned after delivery. They differ in leaf and styling, so compare the product photographs side by side before choosing.

• Aglaia odorata, 45cm and 60cm: the only bonsai sold at two sizes. The 45cm Aglaia odorata bonsai is the smallest piece in the range, at 20cm wide in a 10cm pot, so it fits a desk, a bedside table or a 25cm-deep shelf. The 60cm Aglaia odorata bonsai gives the same look with more presence.
• Nandina, 60cm: the 60cm Nandina bonsai is one of three single-size 60cm ficus bonsai in the same 15 x 13cm pot, so it can be mixed with them on a display without the pots looking different.
• Tropical, 60cm: the 60cm Tropical bonsai shares that footprint and pot, giving a retailer a second leaf style at the same size and price band.
• Banyan, 60cm: the 60cm Banyan bonsai, for buyers who want the banyan-fig name on the label.

At 30cm wide and 60cm tall, the four 60cm ficus bonsai need roughly a 35cm square of surface and 70cm of clear height once any planter is added, so they sit comfortably on reception counters, console tables and wide window sills but not under wall-mounted shelving.

Red maple and luxury pine: the wide, low pieces

These two are the statement bonsai, and they need more surface than their height suggests.

• The 50cm red maple bonsai is 55cm wide in a 22.5cm shallow pot. It has a twisting trunk and a layered canopy of fine deep-red leaves, and it is the only bonsai that adds a strong colour accent, so it works as the focal point of a display or on its own on a hotel console.
• The 50cm luxury pine bonsai is 60cm wide and has a shaped trunk with tiers of fine needled foliage and comes in its own ceramic pot, 19cm wide by 9cm high. It is the one bonsai that arrives display-ready with no planter to add.

Plan a surface at least 60cm long and 40cm deep for either, and keep them away from walkways where the outer branches will be caught. Because the canopy spreads wider than the pot, both read best at or just below eye level: on a sideboard, a spa reception counter or a raised plinth, rather than on the floor.

What makes a bonsai read as a premium product (trunk, canopy structure, pot) is covered in Luxury Artificial Bonsai: What Makes a Premium Trade Line.

Pots supplied and display upgrades

Six of the seven bonsai ship in plastic weighted pots, which are designed to keep the tree stable rather than to be seen. For most commercial uses you will want to dress or replace the pot.

The 45cm Aglaia in a ceramic planter

The 10cm pot drops into several of our small ceramics. The 16cm white honeycomb ceramic planter has a 12cm inner opening; the 18cm white ceramic planter with metal stand has a 13.5cm opening and lifts the bonsai for a desk or shelf. Both leave room to pack the pot level.

The 60cm ficus bonsai

The 15 x 13cm pot needs an opening of at least 16 to 17cm. Our small ceramics are too narrow, so look at the metal and composite planters and check inner sizes in the plant and planter fit finder before ordering containers.

What we don't stock

Traditional shallow glazed bonsai trays are not part of our planter range. If a scheme needs that look, the luxury pine is the one line supplied in a shallow ceramic pot; for the others, top-dress the weighted pot with moss or fine gravel inside a low planter so the plastic rim is hidden.

Shaping the wired stems

The ficus bonsai have wired stems, and every bonsai will have been compressed in its carton. Before display, open the canopy from the trunk outwards: lift each branch to a slight upward angle, then set the tips horizontal so the head has layers rather than a single dome. Leave some open space between branches; a bonsai with every gap filled looks like a shrub. Shape once and leave it, because bending the same wire back and forth weakens it.

Finishing touches

• Cover the top of the weighted pot with preserved moss, bark or pebbles so no plastic shows.
• Use the same top dressing across every bonsai in a display so the group reads as one set.
• Raise single bonsai on a small plinth or stand; a bonsai at table height reads as a finished object, one on the floor reads as a houseplant.

Adding bonsai to a trade order

At seven lines, bonsai rarely make up a £150 ex VAT order on their own. They are best bought alongside the rest of a range or a project.

For retailers and garden centres

A practical opening assortment is three to four lines, chosen to cover each footprint:

1. The 45cm Aglaia as the compact, gift-scale piece for the till or a small shelf.
2. One 60cm ficus bonsai (Tropical or Banyan) as the mid-size line.
3. The red maple or the luxury pine as the display centrepiece.

Two or three of each is enough to fill a feature shelf and see which sells for you before adding depth. Stock varies by line, so check each product page before you plan a promotion, and add depth on the lines that move.

For hospitality, offices and staging

Bonsai are a per-surface item. As a rough guide: one per reception counter or host stand, one per meeting-room table or boardroom sideboard, one per hotel room console or bedside where the scheme calls for it, and one per three or four tables if they are used as table accents in a restaurant. A 40-room hotel dressing each room console with a 45cm Aglaia in a ceramic planter is 40 bonsai and 40 planters on one order. Because every bonsai is sold singly, you can order exactly the number of positions in the schedule, plus two or three spares to cover damage or late additions.

Sector placement in detail (spa treatment rooms, sushi counters, zen-inspired interiors) is covered in Artificial Bonsai for Restaurants, Spas and Zen Interiors.

Merchandising bonsai for resale

Bonsai sell as objects, so display them as a small collection rather than a row of identical pots.

• Build a triangle: the red maple or pine at the back and centre, 60cm ficus bonsai either side, the 45cm Aglaia at the front. That uses about 90 to 100cm of shelf length and 45cm of depth.
• Show one dressed and one as supplied: a bonsai in a ceramic planter next to one in its weighted pot shows the customer the finished look and sells the planter as an add-on.
• Keep them at eye level: bonsai lose impact below knee height. Use the top two shelves of a display unit or a table-height plinth.
• Pair with compatible greenery: ferns, moss balls and small succulents from the desktop range sit well alongside without competing.
• Describe accurately: list them as artificial ficus, maple and pine bonsai at their true heights. Our photography and descriptions are in the gated resource library for logged-in trade customers.

Common display mistakes

• Mixing pot finishes in one group. Three different pots on one shelf look like leftovers. Either keep all bonsai in their supplied pots with matching top dressing, or put all of them in one planter style.
• Crowding. The maple and pine need space around the canopy to show their shape. Allow at least 10cm clear on each side.
• Harsh overhead light only. Downlighting from directly above flattens the canopy. A light from the side or front shows the trunk and layering.

Quality checks before you commit to a line for retail (trunk, canopy, pot, how it photographs) are in How to Choose a Realistic Artificial Bonsai Tree for Retail.

Placement limits: light, heat and handling

• Indoor only. None of our bonsai is UV-stabilised. Keep them out of prolonged direct sun on south-facing sills, where any artificial foliage will fade over time.
• Not fire-retardant. None of the bonsai lines is in our fire-retardant range. Keep them, and all artificial plants, clear of heaters, candles, cooking equipment and naked flames, which matters on restaurant tables and spa counters where candles are common.
• Handling. The wide canopies of the maple and pine can be reshaped gently on arrival. Dust with a soft brush or a cool hairdryer; our care and maintenance hub has a routine for commercial sites.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the bonsai range so small?

We keep a focused range of seven lines covering the three looks buyers ask for (ficus, maple and pine) at desk and counter scale. The range is reviewed like any other category, so check the collection for current lines.

Do you sell bonsai in juniper, cherry blossom or other species?

Not as bonsai. Our bonsai are ficus-style, red maple and pine. The closest larger alternative is the 70cm twisted-stem arboricola bonsai bush, a bonsai-style floor or plinth piece with a spiralling stem, which sits in our arboricola range rather than the bonsai collection.

Can I buy a bonsai without its pot?

No, each bonsai is supplied in the pot listed. The weighted pots are designed to be dropped into a decorative planter.

Are bonsai suitable for a busy restaurant table?

The 45cm Aglaia is compact enough at 20cm wide, but think about the table space it takes from covers. On two-person tables, a bonsai on a shelf or window ledge nearby usually works better. Keep them clear of table candles.

More operational questions (cleaning, shipping, replacement) are answered in Artificial Bonsai Trees FAQ for Trade Buyers.

Order bonsai for your range

See every bonsai and desk-scale plant with live stock in the desktop and small artificial plants hub, and match planters with the plant and planter fit finder. Browse the bonsai trees, ceramic planters and small plants collections to build a mixed order over the £150 ex VAT minimum. UK mainland delivery is £14.99 under £300 ex VAT and free above, with dispatch within one working day of cleared funds. Register online, log in to see trade prices. Our Louth showroom is open to trade customers by appointment if you want to see the bonsai before buying.