Bonsai like you said can't be rushed it is a long time consuming art form. But if you start with a corkscrew willow you can have a start of a bonsai in a couple of years. By start I mean a promising tree that will look like a bonsai a lot sooner than a Maple tree which will take several years, the nice thing about Corkscrew Willow is that you can take a cutting that already looks good and start it indoors this time of year. I have started about 20 in the den now. After you have them rooted, and later in the year you can move them outside. Hope this helps.

I am always amazed at how long growing and caring for these trees takes!

Redwood is extremely fast growing, so fast that it is usually not reccomended for bonsai.

I thought this was the EXCHANGE froum.

ok im a bonsai noob but i like the style and i need a small but uniquie shape

I have a ficus retusa and it grows really fast. I have to trim it once ever 2-3 months.

Bonsai growing have a lot to do with patience so I recommend you to buy a full grown bonsai or at least a prebonsai (a bonsai on its early stage). There are many cheap options out there. It'll be a rewarding experience because bonsai caring can be as fun as bonsai training. Cheers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grow a Bonsai

Fast growing bonsai require more care than slower growing bonsai, including watering, pinching and root pruning more often. These varieties of plants make shaping and twisting the bonsai much easier and the plants grow quickly enough to cover any trimming mistakes eg.Ancient Bristlecone and Bald Cypress (taxodium distichum)