Introduction to Bonsai Carmona
The Carmona retusa, or just simply Carmona, is a popular bonsai tree due to high availability at most bonsai outlets and its rewarding appearance after careful cultivation. Also known as Fukien Tea Tree or Philippine Tea Tree, the Carmona can be a difficult bonsai tree to look after for beginners despite its popularity among them, due to its strict limits on habitable climate levels, and the amount of sunlight it must receive during a daytime. However, cultivating this tree can be a very rewarding experience for bonsai enthusiasts, as a healthy Carmona can take hard pruning and styling very well.
Origin
The evergreen Fukien Tea tree, or Carmona, is named after the province of Fukien, or Fuijan – a southeastern region in China. Although mostly known for the Chinese province the trees name originates, its natural habitat is spread widely in eastern and southeastern Asia, in other such countries as India, Taiwan, Japan, and Malesia. Besides its obvious popularity as a bonsai tree, which it enjoys worldwide, it is a medicinal plant used to treat cough, colic, diarrhea and dysentery in Philippines.