I have been travelling to Asia for the last 30 years sourcing the best trees available from commercial and private nurseries in Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. Like everywhere else, there are plenty of Asian growers offering poor quality material. Over the years, I have managed to cultivate very close relationships with the very best nurserymen in Asia. Our growers have the material we need in the quantities we require. Lower wages enable Asian nurseries to have younger inexpensive trees individually wired to achieve interesting trunk and branch movement propagate.

Although bonsai is not hard to find in Asia, locating specific varieties at the price and size you require is more challenging than you might imagine. Getting plant material imported successfully requires relationships with the USDA, import agents and shippers. The USDA insists that bonsai be bear-rooted (removal of all soil) before entering the U.S. Consequently, it is imperative that the trees are prepped for shipment with minimal disturbance to the roots and that the root systems are properly protected by wet sphagnum moss. Once we actually receive imported trees, we work as quickly as possible to get the trees potted so root systems can get reestablished.