Artistic Acer Palmatum Bonsai (Japanese Maple)

Japanese Maple is one of the most visually striking bonsai species thanks to its finely divided, colour-changing leaves (green through summer, often red/orange in autumn on the right cultivar), but it needs more careful placement than junipers or elms: it's genuinely deciduous, wants outdoor conditions and some protection from harsh midday sun and late frosts on new spring growth. Not the easiest first species, but a rewarding second or third tree.