Alabama Bonsai Society
Also called: ABS; alabamabonsai.org (Birmingham / Hoover, Alabama)
- Website
- https://alabamabonsai.org/
- Location
- Birmingham, AL
- Last checked
- 2026-11-06
- aldridge
- https://aldridgegardens.com/
Alabama Bonsai Society
Category: Clubs Also called: ABS; alabamabonsai.org (Birmingham / Hoover, Alabama)
What it is
The Alabama Bonsai Society is a member-run bonsai club for central Alabama, based around Birmingham and Hoover. Its About page says it was “established in 1974 as an educational community dedicated to developing awareness of the art of Japanese Bonsai in central Alabama.” It is a club, not a nursery or a school.
Official URL
Home: https://alabamabonsai.org/
- About Us: https://alabamabonsai.org/about/
- Contact Us: https://alabamabonsai.org/contact/
- Abundant April Activities (news post): https://alabamabonsai.org/april-activities/
- Workshop venue (Aldridge Gardens): https://aldridgegardens.com/
Last checked
2026-11-06.
Who it’s for
Beginners and experienced growers in Birmingham, Hoover and the rest of central Alabama who want monthly evening programs, Saturday hands-on workshops, visiting-artist events and an annual show without needing a nursery membership.
Why it’s listed
It is a long-running bonsai club with printed dues, a named meeting place and a named workshop place on its own site. Checked on 2026-11-06:
- History (About / home): established 1974; home tagline “Growing Trees in Central Alabama since 1974”; About heading “GROWING TREES IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA SINCE 1974.”
- Meetings (About): monthly meetings in the Auditorium of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens; About says the second Monday evening of each month at 7:00 PM, ending by 8:00; open to the public, no reservations. Contact repeats second Monday (except December and July), short business meeting, educational presentation and show-and-tell.
- Workshops (About / home / Contact): first Saturday of each month February through November, 8:00–11:30 AM (Contact also says 8:00–11:00 AM) in the Naphcare Education Building at Aldridge Gardens on Lorna Road in Hoover; joint with the Bonsai Group of Aldridge Gardens; members bring trees to work on.
- Dues (home): “moving back to member registration and a $50 annual fee” used for educational workshops, visiting bonsai artists and the big show in May. Member benefits listed: member t-shirt, advance notice of special events, member discount and priority sign-up for February professional workshops, eligibility to enter a tree in the May show, invitation to the summer social. Email [email protected] to join. Non-members remain welcome at monthly meetings and workshops at the non-member rate for professional workshops.
- Show (home): Annual Bonsai Show at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens—home asks readers to put May 18 and 19 on the calendar (year not printed on that banner; see Finn flags).
- Workshop venue address (Aldridge Gardens first-party): 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, AL 35216 (LocalBusiness schema / contact on aldridgegardens.com).
Location
Evening meetings: Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium, Birmingham, Alabama (About / Contact; no street number printed on the ABS pages opened for this listing).
Saturday workshops: Naphcare Education Building, Aldridge Gardens, Lorna Road, Hoover; Aldridge’s own site prints 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, AL 35216.
Contact: [email protected]; Facebook linked from Contact. No club office phone is printed on the ABS pages opened for this listing.
Notes
- Finn flags: meeting weekday conflicts across pages—About and Contact say second Monday; home schedule paragraph says second Tuesday. Follow About/Contact unless the live home is updated. Workshop end time is 11:30 AM on About/home vs 11:00 AM on Contact.
/news/returned 404 on the check date; the “newest post” link still points at the older April Activities article, which discusses a 2025 May show window and cherry-blossom festival work. Home May 18–19 show banner does not print the year. Birmingham Botanical Gardens street address is not printed on ABS pages. Home has typos (“monthlu,” “meetin”). - Related: Alabama already has Living Art Bonsai Society (Huntsville) under Clubs. This is the first Birmingham / Hoover / central-Alabama ABS listing.
- Listing image: the society’s official 2023 circular logo from its WordPress media library, saved as
alabama-bonsai-society-logo.jpg(300×300). - Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza. No form, membership payment or contact was made.
FAQ
Q: Where does the Alabama Bonsai Society meet? A: Evening meetings at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium; Saturday workshops at the Naphcare Education Building, Aldridge Gardens, 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, AL 35216 (Aldridge address).
Q: When does it meet? A: About/Contact: second Monday each month at 7:00 PM (except July and December). Workshops: first Saturday February–November, 8:00–11:30 AM. Confirm the weekday on the live home page (it still said Tuesday on the check date).
Q: How much is membership? A: $50 a year, per the home page. Email [email protected] to join. Guests may attend meetings and workshops.
Q: How old is the club? A: Established in 1974, per the About page and home tagline.
Q: When is the annual show? A: At the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in May. The home banner said May 18 and 19 without a year on the check date—confirm the live dates before traveling.