Hi there,

I hope I can get some advice here. About a month ago I bought a bonsai. Or what I thought to be. I’ve since found out it’s a Rowan tree and I haven’t been able to find much information on this tree as a bonsai so it may not be. Irregardless of that though I need help. Since getting it many of the leaves have turned brown, some quite suddenly. I’m not sure if this is due to too much/little water/light or even a disease. I’ve attached a picture. Any advice would be greatly appreciated ! I’ve been watering it whenever the soil gets a bit dry.
Thanks in advance!

... so you bought a plant you don't know anything about, think it's a bonsai and now you need help...
Am a wrong to think you put it inside on a windowsill?
Anyways, your picture is not visible, without it we really can't say anything

Thanks for the reply.

And the market stall was definitely selling other trees that were bonsai. Since it was among them I thought it was also one, the reason I doubted if it is , is due to the lack of information on this tree type as a bonsai available on the internet. I did initially buy it not knowing exactly what tree type it was, due to all the labels being in Japanese. Although I am learning Japanese I am just a beginner and couldn’t read the label. The label was handwritten also so google translate didn’t work.

I have been keeping it indoors, but not on my windowsill. It’s on a coffee table about 3m away from the window, it gets a lot of indirect light. I didn’t put it on my windowsill as it’s a south facing window and the sunlight is very strong, I was worried it would burn the plant. Should it be placed on the windowsill?

Sorry about the images not displaying correctly, it’s my first time using this forum so I didn’t realise. They should be visible now!

So yeah, any advice on how to look after a Rowan bonsai ? And what to do regarding the leaves ?

Insapporo wrote:

I’ve since found out it’s a Rowan tree and I haven’t been able to find much information on this tree as a bonsai so it may not be.

First thing you need to do is learn what bonsai is. It is NOT a tree species. It is not, not a bonsai tree because it is a Rowan tree.

This is a Rowan tree:


This is a bonsai made from a Rowan tree:


Your Rowan tree is neither. It's not a tree, nor is it a bonsai. It's just a young stick in a pot, sold as bonsai, while it isn't.

So, first thing you have to do is put it OUTSIDE!!!. There is not one plant or tree in the world that normally lives indoors... Some tropical plants can survive a houseplant indoors, but your rowan is not , so outside it is ( it WILL DIE indoors). Give it some time to adjust again: shade, then some morning sun, morning and evening, then all the way.
Second, it looks like it is planted in an ordinary mug.That means that there is probably no hole underneath for drainage.So, your little rowan will have wet feet, and probably DIE from that....(if there is a hole , forget what i said). Solution: repot asap.( and the p means: depending on your knowledge, season, ...)
Contrary to what many think: bonsai are not made by placing a young tree in a little pot, its quite the opposite really.

O and cut away the berries, your plant already has problems, and doesnt need to put its energy in reproduction...
So, if you really want to start with bonsai: keep this one alive( that is learn to water properly ), maybe repot as you can ( depending on the hole), and start to study; the basics will keep you busy for a few years...

Adding a note to what lucR said, repot here does not mean follow all the directions about cutting roots, off, etc. What it means is gently pull the tree and the root ball out of the cup and put it in a pot with hole in the bottom of the same size or larger. Fill up the spaces around the side with some kind of garden soil and then water it all real well. It will benefit from being in as large a pot as possible - maybe even outside in the ground.
Then, spend the time from now until spring reading up on how to handle repotting, etc., in a real bonsai way.

Hey welcome to the empire!

Yours Rowan is not doing too bad, but year, the brown leaves are of concern. Do keep it outside. Make sure the pot drains well and keep it in halfshade for now.

Thank you everyone for your advice and feedback! I’m going to try and get it outside so it’s got a chance to survive!