Bonsai Collection Centennial

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is marking 100 years of its incredible Bonsai Collection with an expanded display of specimens along with new interpretive signage plus special tours, exhibits, and workshops. Celebrate a century of tiny trees with us!

About the Collection

• History

  From a small start, BBG became known worldwide for its bonsai, as well as its early efforts to educate the public about this horticultural art form. Learn More ›

• C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum & Outdoor Display

  The Garden’s collection of approximately 400 bonsai is the second oldest in the country and one of the largest on public display outside Japan. Learn More ›

• Gardener’s Choice: Bonsai

  Bonsai gardener David Castro shares some of his favorite trees and explains how they are cultivated. Learn More ›

Special Events

• Exhibits Don't Miss

  The Mountain, the Tree, and the Man

  June 14–October 19, 2025

  A manga display created by Misako Rocks! follows the life of a bonsai and tells the story of BBG’s first bonsai gardener, Frank Okamura. Plus, learn from Okamura in a 1971 training video. Learn More › about The Mountain, the Tree, and the Man

• Tours Don't Miss

  Bonsai Mini Drop-In Tours

  Saturdays & Sundays, June 14–29; Saturday, July 19; August 9; September 20; October 18 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Drop-in

  Learn about the art, history, and care of bonsai from trained Garden Guides, and get a close look at a tiny tree from BBG’s Education collection. Learn More › about Bonsai Mini Drop-In Tours

• Tours | Evenings Don't Miss

  Bonsai Scale Tour

  Thursday, July 3, 2025 | 6–7 p.m.

  Compare miniaturized trees in the Bonsai Museum to their full-size counterparts outside on the Garden grounds. Learn More › about Bonsai Scale Tour

More About Bonsai

• Bonsai Styles

  Five basic forms derive their names from the tree’s angle of growth from a container and provide a common starting point for exploring bonsai styles. Learn More ›

• Q&A with Bonsai Gardener David Castro

  The gardener of the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum discusses bonsai, his path to the Garden, and BBG’s collection. Learn More ›

• Small Tree, Big Heart

  If one connects to bonsai through the heart, one can experience the essence of the natural world in a pot. Former BBG bonsai gardener Julian Velasco contemplates the nature of bonsai. Learn More ›

• Bonsai at Terrain

  Gifts, plants, and tools for the bonsai enthusiast. Visit Terrain at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, across from the Visitor Center.

Support

Friends of Japanese Collections and Programs at BBG
J.C.C. Fund of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York
MUFG Bank, Ltd.