Tosho Needle Juniper – A Tree with Legacy

Botanical Name: Juniperus rigida

Common Name: Tosho Needle Juniper

Story of the Tree

This Tosho Needle Juniper began its bonsai journey in 1990, when it was purchased by John Boyce from a vendor at the Yamato Bonsai Show. At some point during its early training, it was styled and refined by Mr. Yasuo Mitsuya, adding his signature touch to the tree’s development.

In 2010, John donated the tree as a legacy piece to the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt, where it remained for nearly a decade. Then in 2019, Marsha won it in a fundraiser auction—bringing the tree into its next phase of care and refinement.

Since then, she has been working with Val Monroe and Peter Tea to continue shaping its character and honoring its past.

With its striking form and long lineage, this juniper reflects not just individual skill, but a shared tradition across generations of bonsai artists.

Exhibited by: Marsha