A few of the plants commonly used for bonsai are pine, spruce, juniper, Japanese maple, Atlantic cedar, flowering quince and azalea. The evergreen varieties are most frequently used because they tend to have small leaves or needles which are in proportion to the trunk and branches of a bonsai, and because they can be viewed throughout the year, at times when other specimens are not at their best. However, many deciduous species are grown for their flowers, fruits or autumn foliage. Native plants are suitable provided they create the required illusion of age and beauty.