The oldest bonsai are a thousand years old, and they are still being tended to and cared for with meticulous care as on the first day they were planted. The Chinese Taoist monks of more than two thousand years ago were the first to start cultivating bonsai, and they are also in charge of transmitting the rules for bonsai creation and care.
The monks identified with the trees as they were tireless witnesses of the passing of the centuries. And they cared for them day after day so that they would live century after century.
The 5 Oldest Bonsai Tree
Bonsai means “nature on a tray,” and one of the reasons for growing this small tree is to incorporate the elements of nature in the private environment. It is a small natural habitat inside the house.
Ficus Bonsai
The Ficus Bonsai, found in the town of Crespi in Italy, is over 1000 years old and the world’s oldest bonsai. It is possible to visit it at the Italian Bonsai Museum in Crespi.
Pine Bonsai
The Pine Bonsai is located in the Mansei-en Bonsai Nursery. Kato family owns this pine bonsai from Omiya, Japan. It is estimated to be over 1000 years old.
White Pine Bonsai
Another white pine bonsai whose owner, Master Kobayashi, is one of the most prestigious Bonsai artists globally and has won the Prime Minister’s award four times. The age of this bonsai is estimated at 800 years. His nursery, Shunka-en, is one of the most famous in all of Japan.
Japanese White Pine Bonsai
A Japanese white pine bonsai is more than 400 years old and results from the care and patience of 6 generations of the Yamaki family in Japan.
But what makes it unique is that it was in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb fell in 1945. The tree survived the impact, heat, and radiation and was donated years later to the National Museum of Bonsai & Penjing in Washington, USA.
Juniper Bonsai
The juniper bonsai is one of the oldest bonsai in the world but also the most expensive. In 1981 it went up for auction and reached the incredible sum of 2.5 million dollars.
Everyone agrees that the oldest bonsai is beautiful. It creates true works of art that transcend man’s time and have lived for centuries.