Common Name – Chinese Ligustrum

Scientific Name – Ligustrum chinensis
Characterisation: Belongs to the Oleaceae family and covers China, Japan and Europe.
Although there are several types of Ligustrum, this variety from China is the one that works best in Bonsai.
It’s an evergreen shrub with a green oval leaf and a white flower in summer (in Bonsai it’s rare due to pruning). There is a species with white and green leaves (variegata).

Location: It can live indoors near a window well exposed to the sun for a minimum of 2-3 hours a day and without air conditioning, where it should be rotated 180º weekly. It can live all year round outdoors as long as it is protected from strong winds and frost, where it likes to spend at least the warm months outside. It is very sensitive to a lack of direct sunlight.

Watering: It consumes a lot of water, especially when it has new leaves.
Water the soil abundantly until enough water comes out of the drainage holes to evenly moisten the soil, always from above and never by immersion, using a fine-grained watering can.
Allow the top layer of soil to dry out slightly between each watering (to check if the plant needs water, touch the soil with your fingers).
If you have a dish under the Bonsai, never leave any water in it (to prevent the roots from rotting).
There is no advantage in spraying the leaves, only do it on the days you fertilise and if the fertiliser is for foliar application, but make sure they arrive dry at night to avoid fungus.

Nutrition: From February to October/November, with “Bio bonsai” and “Fertil bonsai”. If it’s indoors, apply “Bio bonsai” all year round. Given its strong growth, it needs good fertiliser and likes reinforcements of ” Iron bonsai”.

Pruning: Let it grow 6 to 8 leaves, then cut it back to the first leaves.

Transplant: With “Terra Bonsai-Folhosas” and “Rhiza Bonsai” in February/March, with strong partial defoliation.