Pennsylvania Bonsai Society

Category: Clubs Also called: PBS; Pennsylvania Bonsai Society; pabonsai.org (Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania)

What it is

The Pennsylvania Bonsai Society (PBS) is a member-run bonsai club in the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. Its About page says it “was founded on May 3, 1963, a pioneering east coast bonsai organization, and one of the oldest in the United States,” and describes it as an independent, regional non-profit corporation with active members from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. It is a club, not a nursery or a school.

Official URL

Meetings and events: https://www.pabonsai.org/meetings

Membership and dues: https://www.pabonsai.org/memberships
About and history: https://www.pabonsai.org/about
Beginners: https://www.pabonsai.org/bonsaibeginner
Contact: https://www.pabonsai.org/contact
Home: https://www.pabonsai.org/

Last checked

2026-11-02.

Who it’s for

Beginners and experienced growers in Philadelphia, its suburbs, South Jersey and northern Delaware who want monthly meetings, guest-artist demonstrations, member workshops, a mentoring program and a chance to exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Why it’s listed

It is a long-running bonsai club with its own events page, a posted meeting place and posted dues. Checked on 2026-11-02:

Meetings: the Meetings page says the community “typically meets once a month with occasional breaks over the Summer,” with species discussions, guest-artist styling demonstrations and talks by members of neighboring societies. Members are encouraged to bring a tree to work on.
Next meeting: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 10:30: guest speaker Gabe Funke, a Delaware teacher who serves as president of the Brandywine Bonsai Society, on native species used for bonsai. Location: Free Library of Springfield Township, 8900 Hawthorne Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038.
Also posted: PBS Holiday Party, December 12, 2026, 1:30 (location to be announced); an invited event at the Shofuso Japanese garden in Fairmount Park (date to be announced); and the club’s exhibit at the 2027 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, March 12–25, 2027, at the Philadelphia Convention Center.
Member-led classes: PBS member Brian Tuel is listed for an Introduction to the Art of Bonsai workshop at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens Horticulture Center at Bloomfield Farm (February 20, 2027, 1:30 PM), a Mt. Cuba bonsai class (Saturday, March 20, 2027, 10am–1pm), a Dawn Redwood forest demonstration at the 2027 Flower Show, and a Japanese Society of Philadelphia workshop (tentatively March 27, 2027).
Dues (Memberships page): $45/year. Membership runs June 1 to May 31, and the club hosts “approximately 10 workshops or events each year.” Members who join after the Flower Show do not need to renew until June of the following year.
Member benefits: free club demonstrations, discounted workshops, a chance to exhibit at the Flower Show, member discounts including at local bonsai nurseries, club auctions a couple of times a year, and a Bonsai Buddy mentoring program.
History (About page): a close working relationship with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society gave the Philadelphia area its first bonsai exhibit in 1964. Early PBS members helped form the American Bonsai Society in 1967, and PBS hosted ABS national symposia in Philadelphia in 1969 and 1976. PBS is part of the MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies federation.

Location

Next meeting: Free Library of Springfield Township, 8900 Hawthorne Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038 (just outside Philadelphia).

Mailing address (Contact page): PO Box 364, Gilbertsville, PA 19525-0364. Email: [email protected].

Notes

Finn flags: the Meetings page gives a place only for the November 14 meeting. The December holiday party location is “to be announced,” so check the page before each meeting rather than assuming one fixed venue. Times on the page are written without AM/PM (“10:30”, “1:30”). The About page says PBS is a non-profit corporation but does “not accept tax-deductible donations.” No phone number is printed.
Related: the Brandywine Bonsai Society (already on Bonsai Plaza under Clubs) is a separate club on the Delaware–Pennsylvania border whose president is the November speaker. Longwood Gardens and Rosade Bonsai Studio classes in Pennsylvania are listed separately under Learning.
Listing image: the club’s official PBS logo from its site header, saved as pennsylvania-bonsai-society-logo.png.
Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza. No form, membership payment or contact was made.

FAQ

Q: Where does the Pennsylvania Bonsai Society meet? A: The November 14, 2026 meeting is at the Free Library of Springfield Township, 8900 Hawthorne Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038. Check the Meetings page for each meeting’s location.

Q: When is the next meeting? A: Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 10:30, with Gabe Funke of the Brandywine Bonsai Society speaking on native species for bonsai. The PBS Holiday Party follows on December 12, 2026.

Q: How much is membership? A: $45 a year. Membership runs June 1 to May 31, and if you join after the Philadelphia Flower Show you do not renew until the following June.

Q: Is it good for beginners? A: Yes. The site has a beginner page, and the Bonsai Buddy program pairs newcomers with experienced members.

Q: Does the club take part in the Philadelphia Flower Show? A: Yes. PBS exhibits at the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, listed for March 12–25, 2027, and members can potentially exhibit their trees.