Have you ever wondered about growing a bonsai tree indoors? Asked how to care for a bonsai tree? Or the best bonsai tree for beginners? A trip to the Pacific Bonsai Museum just outside Seattle Washington is inspiring. Set within a forest of fully grown conifer trees and sounds of nature, you peacefully walk through the outdoor exhibit and will want to recreate the same tranquility in your home.
Health Benefits of Bonsai Trees
Physical health benefits include cleaner air, by purifying some indoor pollutants. Read last weeks post for other easy care, healthy indoor plants. Increasing humidity levels has also been linked to reducing sore throats, coughs and dry skin and interacting with plants is known to lower blood pressure by reducing stress.
Bonsai's are meant to last generations providing personal growth opportunities such as patience "The caretaker looks to the future while tending to the now", honoring all life cycles of growth. Creativity abounds in guiding the growth pattern of your bonsai and you build self awareness, self confidence and compassion as you practice the art of bonsai, carrying lessons learned into all areas of your life.
How To Choose Your Bonsai Tree
Pre-Bonsai Trees already have features and characteristics that are desirable without waiting years and you will still be able to influence its growth. Choosing Nursery Stock such as Juniper with small leaves, plenty of branches and healthy roots is an option, but the process will take 3-10 years. Yamadori are wild collected trees, stunted and scarred from surviving in the mountains. Their unique characteristics make them highly desirable, but also take extreme skill and dedication. They can only be collected with consent.
Caring for Indoor Bonsai Trees
Many species are used for bonsai, but for indoors the best are Golden Hawaiian Umbrella, Baby Jade, Flowering Brazilian Rain, Flowering Dwarf Sweet Acacia, Natal or Lipstick Fig and Chinese Elm. Position them near a window for bright natural light. Mist them in the mornings to raise humidity. Keep them away from heat vents and extreme changes in temperature. A cooler location in the fall will encourage dormancy and an LED growth light will encourage growth in the spring.
With so many people looking for a connection to nature; and a reason to slow down, we believe there is no better time to add a bonsai tree to your healthy home so we added bonsai trees for indoors and outdoors to our Wellness Collection of Live Plants.
Already have a bonsai tree, share your care tips and tricks below in the comments section. Or send us a photo to share on our social media channels.
Thanks for reading. Below are some other brands committed to reducing their impact on the environment and raising social awareness.
Savvy
We may receive a small commission from links in this post, but we think these companies are worth sharing.
Doing it Right - 
VIVAIA offers a wide selection of comfortable, stylish women's shoes that are eco-friendly and zero waste by using upcycled materials and 3D technology. Plastic bottles are recycled to make thread, wool comes from happy sheep, infused herbs neutralize insole odors, carbon-free outsoles, simple packaging from recycled cardboard and a commitment to audit and monitor factory conditions for fair, safe employee first working conditions using renewable energy. Flats are machine washable, heeled shoes hand washing recommended. Click on your personal style and step into conscious comfort.
Inspiring Reads - 
Fund literacy and protect the planet when you buy books from Certified B Corporation, Better World Books. Always wanted to care for a Bonsai, click books below to help you on the journey.
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Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty |
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The Bonsai Beginner's Bible (Octopus Bible Series) |
In Case You Missed It - Santicler
A family run business committed to circular design principles Santicler manufactures beautiful women's apparel that is easy to care for, made with nontoxic materials from renewable resources for the lowest environmental impact. Santicler's Transylvania factory is socially responsible including fair payment, health insurance, maternity and parental leave, regulated working hours, protected labor conditions, banned child labor and ISO certified. Every material is ethically sourced from Italy, eco cashmere GRS certified to be 65% recycled + 35% virgin cashmere fiber, ethically sourced extra fine merino wool, and more with a zero waste mentality. Packaging is recycled or biodegradable materials without compromising on quality. As summer winds down we encourage you to jump to their site and get ready for cooler weather with soft, luxurious apparel and accessories. Click your favorite image to shop Santicler products.
In Case You Missed It - 
Responsible living is more than just caring about the environment. East Fork Pottery takes a stand for social equality. Partnering with community outreach organizations to stretch outside their comfort zone; paying employees a living wage, they are now working towards increasing wages to a family living wage. Read about their journey; receiving Carbon Neutral Certification and B Corporation Certification has inspired them to make even greater changes. Reading East Fork's About Page was part of our inspiration for starting The Savvy Elephant. AND we haven't even touched on how stunning and beautiful their pottery is! See for yourself by clicking through to the East Fork Website.
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