A brief history of U.S. mallsai?

andrew lenden

The term mallsai seems to be almost universal, presumably due to the internet. However it would seem to mean different things to different people. In the u.k. (and europe?) we have adopted the phrase for cheap tropicals on wobbly roots in shiny pots from southern china. What we do not have presumably due to these cheap imports are the sort of juniper with glued on rocks type that I hear of in the u.s. Are these a domestic product? Are there one or two big operations supplying the market? or is it more of a cottage industry? what are the glued on rocks for? and last question, are they marketed as indoor bonsai? Years ago (60s-70s)before the chinese imports started i believe there was at least one firm here that hired single mums to plant dwarf conifers at jaunty angles in bonsai pots to sell in department stores and made quite a profit from it! Anyway thanks in advance for your answers. andrew

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RedPine

Hi Andrew,

Here in my low populated area we get 'mallsai' from places like Brussels bonsai in Tennesee,an un-named supplier in Florida,the Bonsaiboy in NewYork.All the Walmarts,Lowes,Target,Homedepot,Kmart ,Bonsai gardens of NWArkansas,American bonsai nursery,westwood gardens,Mystic something arother(a christmas sales only stand in the mall) IGA,Walgreens etc...all carry or have carried mallsais.The general public doesn't know better to get a 1 gal juniper for 85% less money.


Some people I work with have owned 'bonsais'. I say oh yeah look it's a pine seedling from one of those kits,neat.They reply "no, it's a bonsai". Or ..oh yeah you got one of those little junipers heh?...they reply "no,it said bonsai on the tag".
"What do you mean my serissa isn't a bonsai?,I paid 50 bucks for it"

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Vonsgardens

Hey Red,

I wouldassign Mallsai to the malls and big box stores- careful about others.

I saw a $25k (That's 2,500,000 pennies) imported White pine at Brussel's not too long ago- and it was sold......

Brussel fills a broad range in product- from lucky bamboo to ~$65k Pines. And further, he always brings in frst rate talent for Rendevouz over Memorial day weekend (including the likes of Joe Harris, Kathy Shaner, Salvatore Liporace, Marco Invernizzi, this year I heard about Marc Noelanders, Steve Tolley and (is it true?) Walter Pall on the schedule.

So, I would suggest if someone would like to see the nicest commercial Bonsai facilities in North America- and some nice trees (both Imported and domestic) they might want to stop in and see Brussel and Dana and crew. John

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RedPine

Hi Vons,



I know about the bussels and have ordered all of my tools and some trees from them..but they do still carry mallsais and used to sell some out of our homedepot here and still have some thru amazon.com.Even Miami tropical or Fukubonsai with the giant tropicals to die for carry mallsais.There are 2 types of mallsai..cheap starter material usally imported like the S trunks we see,good for a beginers first tree.And then the dreads of juniper/ficus cuttings glued into place. But both are still mallsais though,the later one I listed needs to go away alltogether.

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pootsie

These are les batardes responsible for the majority of bigbox mallsai merde in the US:
Nurserymen's Exchange/Bloom-Rite

Every half-dead thing in a Target or Walmart and most mall booths have rocks glued on by these guys. grrrr

Anyone in the US plagued by "the booklet that came with my banzi" likely has this:
reprint of Bloom-Rite booklet

A serach for "bloom-rite" here and on other bonsai fora will reveal a number of help-my-banzai-is-dying threads

pootsie
p.s. swearing en Francais is le tres chic, le non?

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Vonsgardens

I guess with the "negative conotations" applied to the term Mallsai, I would just like to be crystal clear that the application of the term to an entire Nursery operation may or may not be appropriate. The imports with near homogeneity in appearance, and no rocks glued to their soil surface, and the lucky bamboo probably allow Brussel and company (and Brussel Martin is the "Brussel" in the name) to continue in the more traditional aspects of bonsai that amny of us appreciate. Just a guess. Further, do more than check their internet site, they have lot that they don't post.
John

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sauce

Hi Andrew, I have read in the news that large corporations are behind the flood of mallsei but have seen no proof. The rocks from what I have read serve two purposes, one is obviously decoration and the other is to keep the soil from spilling out of the pot during transportation. Here again I can't say this is true but it sounds plausible. One thing I can verify is that a lot of stores do sell them as indoor trees and they are almost always Junipers. The stores without garden centers keep them indoors as well. I have heard of folks buying these and they turn brown and crispy in a week or two. The term twig in a pot defines them quite well they are usually small cuttings. Sometimes I wonder if the darn things are even rooted. If I can find one I'll post up a pic for you. They are really lame and pathetic usually selling for twenty or thirty dollars. Someone is making a ton of money off these things.

Dkozi

I visited a bonsai nursery about a half an hour or so south east of Spring Hill, Florida this past July. I'm not sure of the name sunset or something or other. But when I spoke to the proprietor of the bonsai nursey she said she is supplying the Home Dep stores in her area with ficus bonsai. But I think it's safe to say that by bonsai in the Depot she must have meant mallsai. Not to lesson what she does. I'm sure by supplying locally the patrons there are getting the freshest availible plant material, which is also too bad because if the patrons don't get the tree's right off the truck they are likely to die of lack of water. -D

Vance Wood

I agree, lumping Brussels in to the manufacture of "Mallsai" being understood as cheap rip off Crapsai doomed to die, sold to the unknowing for twenty or thirty times actual value, is totally unfair. Burssels is in Mississippi not Tennessee. I know Burssel Martin and have done a number of shows with him, he is a first rate and serious participant in the art of bonsai and would not intentionally set out to rip anyone off. For the sake of legal troubles I would advise being cautious before condemning anyone by name unless you know for sure of what you speak and are capable of backing up the accusations with evidence.

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