JOIN NOW LOG IN
iVillage GardenWeb iVillage GardenWeb THE INTERNET'S GARDEN & HOME COMMUNITY ADVERTISEMENT
Blogs Forums Photo Galleries Ask The Experts Tools & Directories        
Return to the Bonsai Forum | Post a Follow-Up

 o
Edible Bonsai?

Posted by seedy OR (My Page) on
Fri, Mar 31, 06 at 19:49

Howdy,

I want to grow a bonsai perennial that can also be used to harvest edible leaves/fruit from. Have any suggestions?

Seedy


Follow-Up Postings:

 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

  • Posted by rjj1 Norman OK Zone7 (My Page) on
    Fri, Mar 31, 06 at 20:59

I keep a lot of rosemary around for cooking. Kumquat is a nice small sized edible citrus that makes a great container plant. The size of the fruit makes it one of the few citrus that is suitable for bonsai.

Calamondin would work, but it's not that great as far as eating.

randy


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

I was thinking about currant, but don't know where to get seeds. thanks.


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

  • Posted by rjj1 Norman OK Zone7 (My Page) on
    Fri, Mar 31, 06 at 22:10

I think that kind of seed would be readily available now at most stores that sell garden seed.

randy


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

Seedy,

I purchased some currant bushes last spring about this time at the local home center. Blueberry has been used for bonsai, and I think that I read something about mullberries. My brother-in-law has a pepper, (Capsicum), that he has kept in a pot for years, I wouldn't exactly call it a bonsai but that is due to his lack of training. This may not be practical as I don't think you can expect to harvest much from a plant trained as bonsai.

Norm


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

My main purpose would be the bonsai, but I thought it would be cool to eat what I pruned from the tree. I've decided on using Rosemary, but may start a pepper plant as well. Thanks, Seedy


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

  • Posted by jimshy z7 Brooklyn, NY (My Page) on
    Wed, Apr 5, 06 at 14:59

Don't forget Barbados Cherry -- malpighia glabra, which is easy and will bear fruit as a bonsai.

Or you could go for one of the smaller guava species, like littorale or guajava -- Logee's carries several of them.

For more hardy plants, look into figs, although they're not very graceful, quince varieties, and bay leaf (laurus nobilis).

In the "edible but not necessarily tasty" dept., there's fuschias, which produce berry-like fruit, triphasia trifoliata or limeberry (haven't tasted so I can't comment)and a few others -- check out a tropical bonsai book like Leisnewitz's.

Jim


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

Thyme, if you wait long enough, develops a trunk. Look for old forlorn plants at a garden center.


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

... scented pelargoniums / geraniums, of course.

Edible, fragrant, very useful, showy, drought resistant, little care and very forgiving ... what else do you want from your bonsai ?!

http://www.scentedleaf.com/bonsai/pelargoniums-bonsai
http://scentedleaf.blogspot.com/search/label/Scented Pelargonium

Here is a link that might be useful: Pelargoniums edible bonsai


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

  • Posted by bjbond 5b GTA/Ontario -4 pe (My Page) on
    Fri, Aug 20, 10 at 13:11

I'm just getting my feet wet with Bonsai, so I've been scouring the net for anything to do with the topic. It's quite interesting what is out there.

chili seeds suggested for bonsai: http://fataliiseeds.net/search?query=bonsai

These guys and their chilie seeds look like an interesting bunch. I might try my hand at some Chupetinho seeds, once I have a grow light area setup at my place. (I hope in the next 2-3 weeks)


 o
RE: Edible Bonsai?

  • Posted by stefpix 7 NY [Brooklyn NY] (My Page) on
    Wed, Sep 1, 10 at 13:24

I am growing chiles in pots. One developed a woody trunk in 4 months. Another cultivar/ species is in asmall pot and is bearing fruit and looks liek a small tree. Will start training after the fall.

Some varieties have larger leaves, some very tiny.

i think they can bear fruit easily under fluorescents or windowsill


 
 

 

 


Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.



iVillage GardenWeb: The Internet's Garden & Home Community  
  iVillage Home & Garden Network