Choosing a tree to turn into a Bonsai is not an easy task, I know! It's especially difficult if you want to grow something like a cascading style of tree. Can you use the pine tree as a cascading tree? Can you create a Bonsai cascade pine?

I have traditionally always thought of the pine tree as being too upright for this artistic and crazy style of Bonsai. However, my experience of pine always has been of the dull variety that is grown in plantations and they have to be very straight up and down!

You can use pine as a cascading Bonsai tree. One of the most preferred ones is the Japanese Black Pine. This tree is idolized above many for its ability to create beautiful Bonsai trees of many styles, from informal upright to cascading and others as well.

So, the Japanese Black Pine will work well as a Bonsai cascading pine tree. You can also try the Japanese White Pine, a Mountain Pine and Scotch Pine for your cascading Bonsai requirements.

Personally I like the more Asian style of trees for this type of Bonsai style. The more twisted that the tree can become, the better I think. Before making such a tree, have a good look on the internet and out in the real world for inspiration for your cascading Bonsai. I believe that once you know the image of the tree that you are looking for and wanting to create, you'll know if a particular type of tree will be any good.

The only real thing to watch out for when growing this type of Bonsai is that you should only never use trees that really don't like to be bent. If you search for a variety of tree and you cannot see it in a 'non-upright' variety in any pictures (or there are more then 50% of the pictures as uprights) then you might want to look for a different variety.

Also, chances are are that the nursery that you visit for your tree will know just what the end result of the tree would be if it just grew naturally and will be able to help you to decide if the tree you are purchasing will be any good as a cascading Bonsai.

Feel free to go for a Bonsai cascade pine. While perhaps the 'Western' varieties I might not go at the first go, you might well work just fine with a pine. Remember, the skill is with you - not necessarily how good the tree is at a particular style.