Fukien Tea

$80.47
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The Fukien Tea (Ehretia Microphylla) is one of the most sought after species for Bonsai. With its naturally small foliage, thick knotted trunk and flowering year-round, this is truly a specimen to behold. 

Most sources will mention that growing a Fukien from seedling or seed should not be attempted by in-experienced Bonsai Artists, as they can be very challenging to shape when young. Resulting in either an undesirable tree or even worse, a dead tree. 

In both our Young & Mature collections the Fukien Tea Bonsai and Pre-Bonsai we offer have been grown, trained and trunk sculpted by professionals. Leaving the end design and the fun parts all up to you. 

The Fukien can be grown both indoors and outdoors. This Bonsai loves humidity and its ideal temperature is between 16°-24° celsius, with at least 25% humidity. So a humidity tray is highly recommended for a Fukien Bonsai. 

Watering the Fukien does require paying attention to your Bonsai. Fukien prefers moist to slightly dry soil. The Bonsai will quickly show you that it needs watering by the leaves drying up a little. This means water me now. 

Wiring a Fukien must not be done for more than 2-3 months at a time, as this can quickly damage the bark and scar the tree. 

Repotting needs to happen almost every year for the first few years. For best chances fo success, use a good Bonsai Soil mix. 

If you've read all the way here, you must really be interested in a Fukien Tea Bonsai. In which case, we say get it. Yes, it's of the harder species to grow, but a cared for Fukien Bonsai can and will grow into a magnificent Bonsai specimen. And the rewarding feeling that comes along with it, is priceless. 

These are not seeds - But Actual Bonsai Tree

Please see our Choosing a Bonsai page, for the age and dimensions regarding the different stages of our Bonsai (Baby, Young, & Mature).

Soil (Substrate)

Bonsai soils are usually a mixture of organic potting compost (Pine Bark or Forest Floor), Akadamapumice, lava rock in varying amounts. 

It is important for the soil have good water retention while also draining well, along with very good aeration. The quality of the soil directly affects the health, size and growth of your tree. One of the worst things you can do to your tree is plant it in regular garden soil. Garden soil hardens when it drys and can often lead to a disadvantage when growing a Bonsai. 

Soil mixtures can be purchased here, but given their weight and cost of shipping, you can also easily make your own. 

 

Depending on the type of Bonsai you're growing, here are the general formulas for successful mixtures. 

Deciduous Tree (Leafy and looses leafs in the fall)

50% Akadama

20% Pumice

20% Lava Rock

10% Potting Compost

 

Coniferous Tree (Evergreen like Juniper, Cedar)

1/3 Akadama

1/3 Pumice

1/3 Lava Rock

 

If you are not able to check on your Bonsai's moisture levels daily, add more Akadama to the mix. 

Given how these soils erode over time, repotting every 2-3 years is required. 

 

Here are some suitable replacements if you cannot find the recommended types of soil.

  • Akadama - fine fired or baked clays, some even recommend cat litter as a substitute. 
  • Pumice - fine crushed aggregates, expanded shale and vermiculite.
  • Lava Rock - This can be replaced with fine gravel or you can also look into purchasing a larger lava rock at a hardware or gardening centre and crushing it. 

 

Fertilizer

One of the best and easiest ways to fertilize your Bonsai, is to add a liquid fertilizer mix when water your Bonsai's once a month during the spring/summer. If your Bonsai looses leaves in the winter there is no need to fertilize it then. If you have a coniferous tree, fertilizing the tree once in the beginning of winter and once in the middle of winter should be sufficient.

  

Customer Reviews

Based on 11 reviews
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Grant Parker (Calgary, CA)
Nice little tree

A nice specimen. Very thorough and sturdy packaging. Heat pack was still warm on receipt despite relatively cold weather.
BonsaiStore is easy to deal with and no nonsense in its approach to its product and marketing the same.

T
Tricia Risling (Saskatoon, CA)
Love my Fukien Tea Tree!!

This tree is gorgeous! It arrived in amazing shape! I can’t wait to receive my next order!

T
T. (Burlington, CA)
Excellent Plant

Received my Fukien Plant today and it’s beautiful. The shipping was perfect, no damage to any of it and the trunk shape was perfect! So happy, you guys did a wonderful job. Thank you

C
Clinton D (Kingston, CA)
Fukien Tea Delight

I was sceptical about having plants transported during the winter, but to my amazement, these little plants survived the trip and are flourishing.

Thanks for these little gems!

S
Steve Buell (Charlottetown, CA)
That's one punk looking tree

When this tree was delivered I was surprised at the look of it. It was quite full and healthy. Branched were/are going in every direction.
Lots of opportunity for styling. So much so that I've been stumped on where to begin.
It's put on an inch or two in new growth in the last couple weeks and is in bloom.
Very happy with this specimen.

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