Most Expensive Bonsai Trees Ever Sold
‘Miyajima’ Japanese White Pine: $1.3 Million A Japanese white pine Bonsai tree sold for $1.3 million at the 2011 International Bonsai Convention broke all previous records. A well-known Bonsai tree artist named Seiji Morimae sold it to a Japanese private collector.
White Pine Bonsai: $1.3 million This over 800-year-old white pine at the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum, owned by Master Kunio Kobayashi, is one of the most expensive bonsai trees in the world. Kobayashi runs the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum in Tokyo, and it cost him $1.3 million to acquire the tree for the museum.
Takamatsu Pine Bonsai: $1.3 million Another 800-year-old bonsai was sold at the Takamatsu International Bonsai Convention in 2012 for 100,000,000 Japanese Yen (about $1.3 million at the time). The perfectly shaped Japanese white pine has all the characteristics of a mythical tree that one might discover in a primeval forest, including a massive, twisted trunk, gnarled bark, and a full canopy.
Five Needle Pine Bonsai: $600,000 The five-needle pine, also known as Japanese white pine and Ulleungdo white pine, is an evergreen conifer with prickly leaves that grow in five bunches. This tree is renowned for its large crown, small flowers, and, most importantly, extraordinary growth rate.
Sargent Juniper Bonsai Tree: $350,000 This Sargent Juniper bonsai tree sold for $350,000 at an auction during the Taikan-ten Bonsai exhibition in Kyoto, one of the biggest bonsai festivals worldwide. The annual exhibition in November features unique bonsai for sale alongside the scrolls and suiseki that accompany its customary display methods.
Kimura’s Japanese Black Pine Bonsai Tree: $106,000 Masahiko Kimura, whose garden could be mistaken for a museum, is one of the influential Japanese bonsai artists. Many bonsai art enthusiasts can easily identify his works in magazines and websites. With its commanding presence, dense canopy, and huge trunk, Kimura’s Black Pine bonsai, which sold for $106,000, is perhaps his most infamous piece.
Ficus Retusa Linn: $91,000 After ten years of unsuccessful attempts to get ownership of this ficus retusa linn bonsai tree, Luigi Crespi, owner of the Crespi Bonsai Museum in Italy, eventually bought it in 1986 for $91,000.
Yamaki Pine Bonsai The 398-year-old Japanese white pine is about two feet high and has a thick trunk and short needles. It was donated to the National Arboretum’s Bonsai and Penjing Museum in 1976 by a bonsai expert Masaru Yamaki whose family owned the tree.
Kimura’s Zelkova Bonsai Masahiko Kimura’s works are legendary; his Zelkova Bonsai looks distinct and is often cited as a famous example of art. In addition, Kimura cares for the iconic plant on display at Omiya Bonsai Village. It’s valued at $106,000, the same price the artist sold his Japanese Black Pine Bonsai tree.
Shimpaku Juniper Bonsai A unique 400-year-old Shimpaku Juniper, owned by Seiji Iimura, a fifth-generation bonsai master, is a bonsai superstar scheduled to participate in a Japanese beauty contest. Unfortunately, the rare find, valued over $90,000 was stolen in 2019 alongside three little pine trees