Italy has the oldest bonsai in the world

The oldest bonsai in the world is not in Japan, but in Italy

Did you know that Italy is home to the oldest bonsai in the world? It is estimated that Ficus retusa Linn, which is in Crespi Bonsai Museum, in Milan, is more than a thousand years old.

The fig tree was purchased by collector Luigi Crespi in 1986 after long negotiations. The bonsai is 3,10 m high and 2,80 m wide.

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Despite occupying a giant pot, it is still small compared to the 10 m that the species can reach in nature.

In second place comes the pine of the genus Juniperus, in the Mansei-en nursery in Saitama, Japan, with an age also estimated at more than a thousand years.

However, other candidates are in Japan – the country where the technique of creating mini plants is most widespread – such as Shunka-en, in Tokyo, contains several bonsai trees that are more than 800 years old.

The term “bonsai” comes from Japanese and means “tree planted in a pot”.

According to experts, it is possible to estimate the age of a bonsai based on the diameter and bark of the trunk. 

 Watch the video from Crespi Bonsai Museum

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