house of bonsai

What house of bonsai does

House of Bonsai is a family-owned specialty retail nursery founded in 1990 in Lakewood, California, operating a 5.3-acre facility described as Southern California's largest bonsai nursery. The company sells live bonsai trees across a range of maturity stages (pre-bonsai, starter, gift-ready, Shohin & Mame, specimen, and garden/yard landscaping sizes), alongside a comprehensive accessories catalog including specialty soil aggregates and mixes, bonsai-specific tools (pruning scissors, wire cutters, branch and knob cutters, saws, grafting knives, turntables), ceramic and plastic bonsai pots in numerous shapes and sizes, Japanese anodized aluminum and copper bonsai wire, fertilizers and pest-control products, and Japanese garden decor such as stone lanterns, water basins, and figurines. The underlying business is physical horticulture production combined with a BigCommerce-powered e-commerce storefront that ships nationwide to all 50 US states and US territories.

The company monetizes through two primary streams: one-time retail product sales (trees, soil, tools, pots, wire, fertilizers, Japanese garden supplies) and a portfolio of in-store services including structured Bonsai Classes (taught by Victoria Lee at $20 per walk-in session or $150 for a non-expiring 10-session package), Bonsai Boarding for traveling owners, Bonsai Clinic diagnostics for sick trees, Bonsai Salon restyling, Bonsai Tree Rentals for events, Custom Made Bonsai commissions, and electronic gift certificates. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer only: walk-in retail at the Lakewood facility (open Monday through Saturday, 8am-5pm PST) plus the e-commerce site. Since 2015 the company has operated as retail-only, having discontinued wholesale due to limited staff and supply. Target customers are primarily bonsai hobbyists and collectors across the beginner-to-advanced spectrum, gift buyers seeking ready-styled trees, and a secondary segment of landscape and property designers sourcing large garden bonsai.

There are no disclosed investors, parent company, or external funding; the company is independently family-owned. Technology is limited to standard e-commerce commerce functionality with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, mobile applications, or platform integrations. Revenue, headcount, and financial performance are not publicly disclosed.

Name

house of bonsai

Legal name

House of Bonsai

Website

https://houseofbonsai.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Horticulture Retail

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424), Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Protected Cultivation of Specialty Crops (Orchids, Bonsai, Exotics) (AFAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soils, Mulch, Fertilizers & Lawn Care Chemicals Retail (CRAIAIAC), Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor) (EDAAAGAL)

Keywords

• Bonsai nursery
• Bonsai supplies
• Bonsai trees
• Bonsai classes
• Bonsai cultivation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Bonsai Product Sales: Direct retail sales of bonsai trees, soil, tools, pots, wire, fertilizers, and Japanese garden supplies through physical nursery and e-commerce storefront
2. Bonsai Services: In-store services including bonsai classes, styling, boarding, clinic care for sick trees, salon services, tree rentals, and custom bonsai creation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

House of Bonsai is a retail-only bonsai specialty nursery that grows, curates, and sells bonsai trees along with bonsai-specific soil, tools, pots, wire, fertilizers, and Japanese garden decor. It complements its physical product sales with in-store services including bonsai classes, styling, boarding, clinic care for sick trees, salon services, tree rentals, and custom bonsai creation directly to walk-in and online consumers.

Product overview

House of Bonsai operates as a single-site retail nursery with a unified product portfolio centered on bonsai trees and accessories. The core offering consists of bonsai trees at various maturity stages (pre-bonsai, starter, gift-ready, specimen, garden/yard), complemented by specialty bonsai soil, tools, pots, wire, fertilizers, and Japanese garden decor. Beyond retail products, the company offers services including bonsai classes (educational workshops), bonsai boarding (travel care), bonsai clinic (tree revival), bonsai salon (styling), tree rentals, and custom bonsai creation. The business model is retail-only (no wholesale since 2015) and primarily serves walk-in customers and US-based online shoppers from their 5.3-acre Lakewood, California facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bonsai Trees Live bonsai trees in various sizes and stages including pre-bonsai, starter trees, gift-ready specimens, Shohin & Mame (small bonsai), specimen (advanced/gallery quality), and garden/yard bonsai for outdoor landscaping. Sold to hobbyists, collectors, and gift buyers.
• Bonsai Soil Specialty soil products including aggregates (Akadama, lava rock, pumice, Zeolite, decomposed granite), ready-to-use soil mixes, and soil sieves for bonsai cultivation.
• Bonsai Tools & More Comprehensive range of bonsai-specific tools including pruning scissors, wire cutters, branch cutters, knob cutters, root cutters, saws, trunk splitters, turntables, grafting knives, carving tools, chisels, and tool maintenance products.
• Bonsai Pots Ceramic and plastic bonsai containers including glazed, unglazed, Tokoname terracotta training pots, cascade pots, and specialty shapes (rectangle, oval, hexagon, crescent) in various sizes from Mame to extra large.
• Bonsai Wire Japanese anodized aluminum bonsai wire (dark brown) and Japanese copper bonsai wire for tree training and shaping.
• Fertilizer, Vitamin & Chemicals Plant nutrition and health products including Biogold organic fertilizer, Tamahi rapeseed cake fertilizer, SUPERthrive vitamin solution, pest and disease control products, and fertilizer baskets.
• Japanese Garden Supplies Japanese garden decor including granite stone lanterns, water basins, stone bridges, and figurines (mudmen) for bonsai display.
• Bonsai Class In-person bonsai education workshops held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, taught by Victoria Lee. Topics include trimming, repotting, wiring, pest identification, and seasonal care. Offered as walk-in sessions ($20) or 10-session prepaid packages ($150).
• Bonsai Boarding Short-term and long-term care services for bonsai trees while customers are traveling, including watering, positioning, and maintenance.
• Bonsai Clinic Professional diagnostic and revival services for sick or dying bonsai trees, including treatment recommendations and care plans.
• Bonsai Salon Professional styling services for neglected or overgrown bonsai, including wiring, pruning, and reshaping by bonsai experts.
• Bonsai Tree Rentals Rental service providing bonsai trees for parties, special events, corporate settings, and temporary display needs.
• Custom Made Bonsai Bespoke bonsai creation service where the nursery creates custom-styled bonsai trees based on customer specifications.
• Gift Certificates Electronic gift certificates available for purchase, allowing recipients to select their own bonsai trees and supplies.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bonsai Boy of New York: Long-running bonsai nursery and online retailer of bonsai trees, supplies, and gifts serving customers nationwide. Comparable as an established, online-led bonsai specialty retailer with similar product breadth across trees, tools, pots, and accessories.
• Wigert's Bonsai: Florida-based bonsai nursery and online retailer offering trees, supplies, classes, and styling services. Comparable as a competing southern-US bonsai nursery combining retail, e-commerce, and education services.
• Bonsai Outlet: Online bonsai retailer offering trees, supplies, tools, and starter kits aimed at beginner to intermediate hobbyists. Comparable as an e-commerce-led bonsai retailer pursuing the same entry-level and gift buyer segments.
• Brussel's Bonsai: One of the largest bonsai nurseries in the US, operating both a Garden Center in Olive Branch, MS and a national e-commerce store. Directly comparable to House of Bonsai as a multi-channel bonsai tree and supplies retailer with broad product breadth.
• Eastern Leaf: Online bonsai retailer specializing in pre-bonsai, starter trees, tools, and supplies. Comparable as a direct e-commerce competitor in the bonsai supplies space, with overlapping customer base of hobbyists and gift buyers.

Regional players

• Meehan's Miniatures: Maryland-based bonsai nursery specializing in pre-bonsai stock and starter material, with industry-recognized horticultural expertise. Comparable as a focused bonsai nursery competing for advanced hobbyists and collectors.
• Kimura Bonsai Nursery: Northern California-based bonsai nursery known for high-end specimen trees and traditional Japanese material. Comparable as a specialty bonsai nursery addressing the collector and advanced hobbyist segment with overlapping product types.
• Dallas Bonsai Garden: Texas-based bonsai nursery and supplier of trees, tools, and accessories. Comparable as a regional specialty bonsai retailer addressing an overlapping hobbyist customer base, but geographically anchored to the south-central US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bonsai-house

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about house of bonsai