Below is a shopping list if you’re wanting to create a bonsai pinetum. You may want to explore alternative species to include, if so the Gymnosperm database is a fantastic resource.
| ARAUCARIACEAE |
| Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) and/or Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis and/or Kauri (Agathis australis) |
| CUPRESSACEAE |
| Basic (5 genera): Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), Japanese cedar/sugi (Cryptomeria japonica), Sabina Juniper (Juniperus sabina), and Thuja (eg. Thuja occidentalis) |
| Intermediate (10 genera): as above plus Giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens), Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum), Italian/Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) and an Oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis). |
| Extensive (17 genera): as above plus Chinese Coffin Tree (Taiwania cryptomerioides), Tasmanian Cedar/Pencil Pine or King Billy Pine (Athrotaxis cuppresoides/Athrotaxis selaginoides), Rottnest Island Pine or Oyster Bay Pine (Callitris preisii, Callitris rhomboidea), Chinese Fir (Cunninghamnia lanceolata) , Chilean Cedar (Austrocedrus chilensis), Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) and Chinese Swamp Cypress (Glyptostrobus pensilis) |
| Complete (25 genera): as above plus Diselma, Fitzroya, Libocedrus, Microbiota, Papuacedrus, Tetraclinis, Thujopsis and Widdringtonia. |
| PINACEAE |
| Basic (5 genera): Scot’s or Japanese Black or Japanese White Pine (Pinus sylvestris/thunbergii/parviflora), Abies koreana (Korean fir), Cedrus atlantica (Atlantic cedar), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), European Larch (Larix decidua) |
| Extensive (9 genera plus extras): as above plus Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), Golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Yunnan youshan (Keteleeria evelyniana). Consider also Pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) |
| Complete: all 11 genera: as above plus Cathay silver fir (Cathaya argyrophylla) and Bristlecone hemlock (Nothotsuga longibracteata) |
| PODOCARPACEAE |
| Basic: Buddhist Pine (Podocarpus macrophylla) |
| Extended: as above plus Celery Top Pine (Phyllocladus alpinus or Phyllocladus asplectiifolius), Chilean plum yew (Prumnopitys andina), |
| + if you are a true collector and willing to track down seeds or specimens in collections near you, try for a Kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides), Creeping Strawberry Pine (Microcachrys tetragona) and Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) |
| SCIADOPITYACEAE |
| Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) |
| TAXACEAE |
| Basic: Common Yew (Taxus baccata) or Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata), |
| Intermediate: as above plus Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonii) |
| Extended: as above plus White Berry Yew (Pseudotaxus chienii) and Japanese Nutmeg Yew (Torreya nucifera) |
| + for collectors Stinking Cedar (Torreya taxifolia) |