Carmona Fukien Tea Bonsai

Looking for a flowering indoor bonsai? Fukien tea (Carmona) brings tiny white blooms and glossy leaves, a favourite on UK bonsai bestseller lists when you can give it warmth and consistent light.

It suits a south- or west-facing sill in a heated flat: not a porch, not a freezing hallway. Keep the compost evenly moist and you’ll get that neat, jewel-like foliage Carmona is known for.

An indoor bonsai for real homes

• Where it lives. Happiest on a warm, bright windowsill away from draughts.
• Light. Bright light and steady warmth: a sunny windowsill out of cold draughts.
• Water. Keep the compost lightly moist; never bone dry, never waterlogged. Tip away saucer water.
• Around the family. Best placed where nibbling pets and small children can’t reach the leaves.

Your questions answered

Is this a good bonsai for beginners?
Better once you’ve kept a ficus happy. Carmona likes consistency (warmth, light and steady watering) more than snake plants do.

What size should I choose?
Smaller pots suit windowsills, desks and shelves. Larger sizes make more of a statement on a sideboard or beside a bright window. Sizes available: 12cm pot / about 20cm tall, 15cm pot / about 25cm tall.

Do I need a grow light?
Not usually, if you can offer the light described above. In a very dark flat through midwinter, a simple white plant light on a shelf can help.

The details

A flowering indoor bonsai for warm, bright UK windowsills.