Welcome to High Water Bonsai
High Water Bonsai started the way most bonsai nurseries start: one person’s collection got out of hand.
About seven years ago, Drew picked up bonsai as a way to slow down. A few trees became a few dozen, and the backyard began to look less like a yard and more like a nursery. In 2024, Drew and his husband, Martin, started growing in earnest. In 2025 we planted our first acre of growing fields in St. Hedwig, Texas. This spring we opened our gates to the public.
Who we are
We’re a small, family-run craft bonsai nursery in San Antonio. We grow and sell trees at every stage, from pre-bonsai stock for people who want to do the styling themselves to finished trees that are ready for the bench. We also carry the supplies you need to keep them alive: pots, soil, wire, and tools.
Our focus is trees that can handle Texas. That means native species like Ashe juniper and cedar elm alongside traditional bonsai species that hold up in our heat, such as Chinese elm, Kingsville boxwood, Shimpaku juniper, and Japanese black pine. If a species can’t take a San Antonio August, we don’t grow it. (Sorry, Japanese maple fans.)
Why “High Water”
The name has three meanings for us.
In Japanese bonsai practice, hamizu (葉水), or “leaf water,” means wetting the foliage instead of just the soil. Here in South Texas, where the air dries everything out, that habit matters.
Our neighborhood also floods. High water is something we know firsthand.
The third meaning is the one we’re working toward: we want to leave a high water mark on Texas bonsai.
What we do
Trees and supplies. Visit the nursery to browse in person, or shop online. We currently ship within the US only.
Workshops. Teaching is half the reason we exist. Our workshops are for anyone who wants to learn, whether you’ve never touched a pair of concave cutters or you’re ready to tackle your first juniper styling.
Tree care services. We can board your trees while you’re traveling or for the winter, and we offer repotting, maintenance trims, wiring and styling, deadwood carving, and grafting. If a tree is struggling, bring it in. Quick health check-ups are free during Saturday hours, and our Bonsai Hospital can handle trees that need longer-term care. See our Services page for full pricing.
We’re also active members of the San Antonio Bonsai Society and the Corpus Christi Bonsai Club. Clubs are the best way to get better at this, and we’ll always point you toward one.
Come visit
We’re proudly located in Southwest San Antonio at 9106 Harbor View St, San Antonio, TX 78242.
We’re open every Saturday from 11am to 4pm. If Saturdays don’t work for you, we’re happy to set up an appointment.
Get in touch
- Email: drew@highwaterbonsai.com
- Instagram: @highwaterbonsai
- Web: highwaterbonsai.com
Come walk the benches. Bring a tree you’re working on, or just bring your questions. The best way to learn bonsai is to spend time around trees and the people who care for them, and that’s what we’ve built here.