Wrightia Religiosa, common name in Chinese 水梅, also called Water Jasmine, a very popular species for Tropical Bonsai. They can be easily trained to almost any bonsai style. This is one of the easy growing flowering plants in Singapore too, most planted by many plants lovers. Propagation is easy,  growing from seeds contained inside a green bean-like pod or from both branch and root cuttings.

There are three varieties of  Wrightia Religiosa:  the most common one has a cluster of small drooping single white flowers and there is a less common double flowered form. There is also a variety with extremely small leaves known as  Vietnam Wrightia (越南水梅）which is less commonly seen. The smaller leaf varieties are more difficult to grow.

Shui Mei grow quickly in our topical country. You have to prune the plants heavily every few months to prevent them growing out of the shade.  Defoliation not only will reduce leaf size and also will produce more flowers. I always pinch away all leaves every 2 months, and flowers will develop in 3-4 weeks time after that, I will get lovely white blooms, fill the place with a very sweet fragrance. Repotting is a must too, should be done at least every two years.

I love the way the mini flowers hanging in clusters below the green foliage, it make a perfect bonsai display. The long green bean-like seed pods will follow flowering if those flowers pollinated by insects. Seed pods ripen, turn black, and crack open to release the small fuzzy capped seeds. New plants grow from seed only start flowering after two years but the cutting stem will be flowering easily soon the plants growing live. One very interesting fact, the double flowered plant does not set seed, (why, why , why???) it only can be propagated from cuttings.



I am growing almost 10 pots if Wrightia, they are heavy feeders and enjoy a high nitrogen fertilizer. Goat shit or chicken shit are the best for Shui Mei, which is cheap and easy to get from any florist shop or even super market plant section. I supply one big spoon once a month for a pot as below picture shown. If you don't like the shit smell, any general-purpose liquid fertilizer will do fine.  Fertilizer should be applied at least once a month. Yellow leaves is a common problem caused either by overwatering or underfeeding.
Shui Mei plant will occasionally get scale, mealy bug, or aphids but it is easily controlled with pesticide spray.

Carmona Microphylla, most known in its common name Fukien tea, it is a great material for bonsai. With naturally small leaves and even more beautiful small white flowers the tree is loved by bonsai lovers all around the world.

I like this plant upright growing with white edged rounded foliage. The common name is Balfour Aralia or Ming Aralia, the botanical name is Polyscias scutellaria 'Balfourii' .
I bought some cut stems of Balfour Aralia one month ago, I used it to do  flowers arrangement, for the last left over stem, I just simply planted it into a small pot. Surprise! It grows some new leaves...I believe it is a good choice for a bonsai forest...I want to grow a

Balfour Aralia bonsai

Follow my blog to see the result in few months later.
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Plant Tips:
What causes an Aralia to drop its leaves? This is most often the result of air that is too dry. In fact, the vast majority of problems with aralias are caused by lack of humidity.