Yama Ki Bonsai Society

Category: Clubs Also called: Yama Ki Bonsai Society (Stamford, Connecticut); Yamaki Bonsai; yamakibonsai.org Last checked: 2026-10-16

What it is

The Yama Ki Bonsai Society is a bonsai club in Stamford, Connecticut. Its own site calls it “one of the oldest non-profits dedicated to spreading knowledge of, and love for, the art of Bonsai in the New York City area,” meeting at Bartlett Arboretum, Stamford, CT. The History page says it began on June 5, 1973, when Jerome Meyer wrote to forty-seven people in Westchester and Fairfield counties, and that the name comes from the Japanese words for mountain (yama) and tree (ki). The slogan is “Learning From Each Other – Sharing With the Community.”

Who it’s for

Beginners and experienced growers in southwestern Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley. The site says “all are welcome,” whether “you have no trees or hundreds of trees,” and that members work alongside professionals and amateurs.

Why it’s listed

It is a real club with its own website, an annual membership price, named officers and a current event. The site was checked on 2026-10-16:

Events/Schedule page: “Coming Up Next” shows the Maple Leaf Bonsai Show, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM, at Maple Leaf Bonsai, 1040 NY-45, Pomona, NY. The event page describes a 4th annual show with a Make Your Own Tree Workshop with Sergio Cuan, a bonsai auction, styling demonstrations and a styling contest. This is hosted by Maple Leaf Bonsai, not by the club, and is shown on the club’s calendar.
Membership: $70 per year, including invitations to all member events and guest professional visits. The page mentions a first-year membership discount and asks interested people to send a message through the site form.
Programs: the Events page says monthly events are hosted with club members, bonsai professionals and bonsai artists.
Leadership: President Pete Halm, Vice President Jason Diaz, Treasurer Jose Jimenez, Media/Communications Mike Borruso and Director Ralph Padilla.
Merch shop: two items, a $1 sticker and a $30 club shirt.

Dates and prices are what the pages showed on the check date. They change.

Official URL

Official club site: https://www.yamakibonsai.org/

Events/Schedule and about the club: https://www.yamakibonsai.org/blank-1
History: https://www.yamakibonsai.org/about-3
Become a member ($70/year): https://www.yamakibonsai.org/blank-2
What is bonsai?: https://www.yamakibonsai.org/general-clean
Shop: https://www.yamakibonsai.org/category/all-products
Maple Leaf Bonsai Show, Oct 17: https://www.yamakibonsai.org/event-details-registration/maple-leaf-bonsai-show-2

Location

Meets at Bartlett Arboretum, Stamford, Connecticut (the site gives no street address or meeting dates; use the site’s contact form). The club draws members from Westchester and Fairfield counties.

Notes

Category is Clubs: a non-profit society with members, officers, dues and events.
No regular meeting day or time is published on the club’s own site. The only dated event on the check date was a show hosted by another business in Pomona, NY, so the club’s own next meeting is unknown.
Connecticut is a new state for this directory. Georgia, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Delaware were avoided.
Listing image: the site’s own logo graphic (Wix media cc9682_fa6a583a…, a bonsai and mountain line drawing), 794×651, GIF converted to PNG and saved as yama-ki-bonsai-society.png.
Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza. No contact, email or form was used.

FAQ

Q: Where does the Yama Ki Bonsai Society meet?
A: At Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, Connecticut, according to its Events page. The site does not publish a street address or a regular meeting day.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: $70 per year. The membership page mentions a first-year membership discount; ask through the site’s message form.

Q: Can beginners join?
A: Yes. The site says all are welcome, with or without trees, and that programs suit both novices and experienced artists.

Q: What is the next event?
A: The Maple Leaf Bonsai Show on Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM, at Maple Leaf Bonsai, 1040 NY-45, Pomona, NY, with a Make Your Own Tree workshop led by Sergio Cuan.

Q: When was the club founded?
A: 1973. A letter sent on June 5, 1973 invited forty-seven people to a first meeting on June 16.