The first time I visited a fall exhibit in Japan, I was struck by the number of fruiting bonsai. Every aisle offered examples of crabapple, princess persimmon, pyracantha, or hawthorn bonsai with colorful fruit. I hadn’t realized what a good opportunity the season was to show off trees with fruit as I hadn’t been exposed to so many fruiting bonsai in California exhibits.

Since then, I’ve come to appreciate every fruiting bonsai I see in fall exhibits. Along with fall color – another rarity where I live – fruiting bonsai are a great indicator of the season that offer a contrast to coniferous varieties that don’t change as dramatically through the seasons.

This past weekend the East Bay Bonsai Society held their 57th annual exhibit in Oakland, California. The exhibit featured a number of trees with colorful fruit or foliage along with the junipers, oaks, elms that look good year-round. Here are a few of the highlights.