Under the name lucky tree you will find the Australian bottle tree (lat. Brachychiton rupestris), but often also the money or jade tree (lat. Portulacaria afra) from Madagascar. Both can certainly be grown as bonsai.
How do I grow and care for a lucky tree bonsai?
To grow and care for a lucky tree bonsai, choose a small pot, keep it bright, cut it regularly, water and fertilize it sparingly. Both the Australian bottle tree and the jade tree are suitable as lucky tree bonsai.
However, these are two completely different plants that are not related to each other. The jade tree is able to store water with the help of its thick, fleshy leaves. It can be drawn into various shapes. The easy-care Australian bottle tree, on the other hand, has long, narrow leaves that appear rather feathery. The normal tree shape is probably the most attractive for him.
How do I grow a lucky tree bonsai?
You can often get both the Australian bottle tree and the jade tree more or less finished as bonsai in stores. The Australian bottle tree is often treated with a growth-inhibiting agent because it can grow to a height of over 20 meters in its native land.
A very attractive feature of the Australian bottle tree is its roots. As a bonsai, the plant is kept in a relatively small pot, so the roots cannot grow straight down as they would like. Instead, it winds itself, partly out of the ground, and takes on an interesting and unique shape. No two roots are alike.
How do I care for a lucky tree bonsai?
In principle, the Australian lucky tree as a bonsai has the same needs as any other lucky tree. It needs a lot of light and should therefore be placed in a very bright place. It tolerates drought much better than waterlogging.
The bottle-shaped trunk can store water, so the plant can survive your vacation without any damage. As a bonsai, water it very sparingly, especially during the winter months. It also only needs fertilizer in small amounts, about twice during the growing season and not at all in winter. You can cut it into the desired shape.
Bonsai care in brief:
- Don’t choose a pot too big
- make it as bright as possible
- cut regularly
- water and fertilize little
Tip
If you want to keep your lucky tree as a bonsai, then put it in a rather small pot and only supply it with nutrients sparingly.
