Most of the very best bonsai in Europe that I've seen are not imported, but rather are collected specimens from the local environs. There is wonderful material being colleted there. One look at Valerio Gianotti's or Salvatore Liporace's work provides good insight.

From what I've observed and discovered of good European bonsai, the standard is far above the North American standard due to the fact that Europeans tend to correctly characterize bonsai as an art form rather than just a hobby. Excellence in artistic work is expected and rewarded. Hobbyists, as commonly found in the U.S., are content to grow trees in any pot, showed any way to suit their fancy (and why not!? ;-). However, since bonsai is an art - filled with concerns for plenty of aesthetic ideals, matching pot to tree, proper display of the tree, etc... it is not common to find high quality examples in the U.S. where bonsai is not widely considered to be an art.

It is just fine if one wants just to grow trees in pots any old way if that's what one wants to do - that's what's fun, but it is not conducive to quality bonsai.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas