Bonsai Plaza nurseries · clubs · learning

Sho Fu Bonsai Society of Sarasota

Clubs Sarasota, FL

Also called: Sho Fu; Sho Fu Bonsai Society; shofubonsai.org; Sho Fu Bonsai Society of Sarasota, Inc.

Website
https://shofubonsai.org/
Location
Sarasota, FL
Last checked
2026-10-02
about
https://shofubonsai.org/about/
membership
https://shofubonsai.org/membership
membership payment
https://shofubonsai.org/membership-payment-new/
events
https://shofubonsai.org/events/
home
https://shofubonsai.org/

What it is

The Sho Fu Bonsai Society of Sarasota is a member-run bonsai club for Sarasota / Southwest Florida, formed December 2, 1975 (About). Sho Fu translates as “wind in the pines.” Its main identity is the monthly club meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, plus workshops, demonstrations, and a club-maintained permanent bonsai exhibit at Selby (collaboration begun 2007). Guests are invited on the home page to visit a meeting. It is not a commercial nursery and not a public-garden tuition class series (Selby Gardens is the meeting venue / exhibit partner).

Who it’s for

Sarasota and Southwest Florida bonsai enthusiasts, from beginners to experienced growers, who want club meetings, workshops, and a Selby Gardens–based community. Guests are invited to drop in on monthly meetings. People who only want a one-off botanic-garden ticketed class should look under Learning listings instead.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party club site. It prints dues on a membership form and a purchasable membership-payment page, a second-Tuesday meeting cadence with a public gardens venue and street address, and dated 2026 meeting posts. It is not a Facebook-only club and not a scraped directory card.

  • Club identity / cadence (Home + About, checked 2026-10-02):
    • Formed December 2, 1975; 501(c)(3) language appears on membership materials (Florida CH35914 noted on related membership copy).
    • Meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, FL 34236.
    • Guests invited to visit a meeting; club also maintains the Selby permanent bonsai exhibit with volunteer curator support.
  • Membership / dues (Membership form + Membership Payment page, checked today):
    • Individual $45.00; Family (2 individuals) $55.00; Student (through college) $20.00; Secondary (other BSF club primary) $30.00; Secondary Family $45.00; Supporting $75.00.
    • Annual dues include Bonsai Societies of Florida (BSF) membership.
    • Pay online via the membership-payment page after submitting the application, or mail check to the membership chair address printed on the membership page.
  • Upcoming program sample (Home meeting blocks, checked today):
    • Tuesday October 6, 2026, 6:00–9:00 PM — David Ford on Kintsugi; president Kathrin Harris overview of wiring principles; same Selby venue.
    • Tuesday November 10, 2026, 6:00–9:00 PM — Kamil Sykora Black Pine workshop; same venue.
    • September 8, 2026 meeting note: Paul Pikel wiring demo with make-and-take wire tree for first 30 members to sign up.

Meeting times, dues, and event samples above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Confirm on the live Events and Membership pages before joining or traveling.

Official URL

https://shofubonsai.org/

Location

  • Region: Sarasota / Southwest Florida.
  • Regular meetings: Second Tuesday each month, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, FL 34236. Confirm room and check-in on the live Events listing before visiting.

This is a club meeting identity. It is not a retail nursery showroom and not a botanic-garden tuition desk (even though a public garden hosts the meetings and exhibit).

Notes

  • Category is Clubs. Sho Fu is a first-party, member-run society with printed dues tiers, a second-Tuesday cadence at Selby Gardens, and dated 2026 meeting posts. Not a nursery. Club programs stay club programming and do not move this card into Learning.
  • Dues tiers, second-Tuesday 6–9 PM meetings at 1534 Mound Street, and the October / November 2026 program samples come from official pages checked on 2026-10-02 and may change.
  • Geographic spread: Sarasota FL is away from Mon St. Louis, Tue Nashville, Wed Ann Arbor, and Thu Cleveland. Same state as Mon Fort Pierce Learning but a different metro (Gulf Coast vs Treasure Coast). Preferred over Cape Fear Bonsai Society (Wilmington NC) this ship because Carrboro NC already covers Learning and Cape Fear’s home returned intermittent 429 on recheck.
  • Listing image: official site logo at /images/sho-fu-bonsai-society-of-sarasota.png (first-party asset from shofubonsai.org).
  • Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza.
  • No Bonsai Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: When and where does Sho Fu meet?
A: Home page (checked 2026-10-02) says the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Meeting blocks print 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, FL 34236. Confirm the next date on https://shofubonsai.org/ before traveling.

Q: What are the dues?
A: Membership and Membership Payment pages list Individual $45, Family $55, Student $20, Secondary $30, Secondary Family $45, and Supporting $75, with BSF membership included in annual dues. Confirm live tiers before paying.

Q: Is this a nursery or a Learning class?
A: Neither, for Bonsai Plaza category purposes. Sho Fu publishes dues and a member meeting schedule, so the card is Clubs. Tree retail with shop prices belongs under Nurseries; garden/nursery tuition classes with printed fees belong under Learning.