Bonsai facts for kids

Chinese drawing of something like bonsai, early 8th century

Bonsai (which means "plantings in tray" in Japanese) is a special Japanese art. It's all about growing small trees in pots. To do this, people grow a tree in a tiny pot or tray. They carefully cut its branches and roots over time. This keeps the tree small. Bonsai trees are shaped to look beautiful. The best ones look like very old, full-sized trees, but they are much, much smaller.

The word bonsai comes from Japanese. It means "tree in a tray." Bonsai is a very old art form in Japan. It came from an even older Chinese art called penjing. Penjing is a Chinese art that also uses trees grown in pots. Other countries have similar arts too.

People enjoy bonsai because it's lovely to look at. It's also fun to grow a bonsai tree. A bonsai tree can live for a very long time. Some can live longer than a person! A grandparent might start a bonsai. Then they could pass it down to their child, and then to their grandchild.

A bonsai starts with a small tree. You can grow this tree from a seed. Or you can find one already growing in a yard, park, or forest. You can also buy one from a plant store.

To make a bonsai, the small tree is taken out of the ground. Its roots are gently cleaned. The roots might be trimmed a little to fit in a small pot. The branches are also trimmed to make the tree smaller. Then, it's placed in a special bonsai pot. These pots have low sides. Fresh soil is put in the pot to cover the roots. After that, it's watered and placed outdoors to grow.

Good trees for bonsai have small leaves. Pine tree needles are also considered leaves. If the leaves are too big, the bonsai won't look like a tiny tree. A good bonsai tree will also have bark and roots that look old.

History of Bonsai Art
How to Care for a Bonsai
Bonsai Shapes and Styles
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

History of Bonsai Art

The art of bonsai began in Japan over one thousand years ago. It came to Japan from China around the year 800 A.D. At first, bonsai were planted in large pots, like the Chinese used. But the Japanese later started using very low, almost flat pots. This change made the tree itself the most important part of the art. Other nations used fancy pots, small houses, or statues with their tiny trees.

At first, only rich and noble people in Japan owned bonsai. One family might have many bonsai trees. They would grow in pots in the garden outside the house. A servant might care for all the bonsai. They would learn a lot about how to grow them. The rules for growing bonsai properly were not well known. They were not shared with other people.

Later, more people started to grow bonsai. Some were holy people, like monks. Some were Japanese families who were not noble or very rich. But they had enough money and time to grow one or two bonsai in their gardens. This larger group of people began to share what they learned. So, more people could join in growing bonsai. By the 1900s, the rules of bonsai were very well known in Japan. Many people could afford to grow their own bonsai.

How to Care for a Bonsai

A tree used for bonsai is not naturally small. If it grew in open soil, it would become a big tree. But in a pot, the tree stays small. To help keep it tiny, the bonsai owner trims its leaves and branches every year. Every two or three years, the owner lifts the bonsai out of its pot. They trim the roots. Then, the owner puts the bonsai back in its pot with some new soil.

A bonsai grower checks the soil of each pot every day. If the soil is almost dry, the grower waters it. They water until the soil is wet from top to bottom. Every few weeks, the grower adds a little fertilizer to the soil. In the winter, this happens less often.

A bonsai can live to be older than a large tree of the same type. This happens if it is cared for well. A bonsai needs good care. A bonsai with poor care will not be healthy and might die. To keep a bonsai strong, it must grow outdoors like a real tree. It must never get too dry or stay too wet. It must never get too hot or too cold. If it gets a plant sickness like a fungus, it must be cured quickly. If it gets bugs like aphids, the bugs must be cleaned off or killed quickly.

Bonsai Shapes and Styles

In the art of bonsai, beauty, patience, and good care are all important. The plant, its shape, how the soil is arranged, and the type of pot used are all key.

Each bonsai has a shape. This includes the shape and direction of its trunk. It also includes the shape of the whole tree with its branches and leaves. The most common shapes are called "styles."

Upright Style

The upright style has a straight trunk that points up. Its branches are big at the bottom and get smaller at the top.

Upright-style
Upright-syle cypress

Informal Style

The informal style has curves in its trunk. Its branches are also larger at the bottom and smaller at the top.

Informal-style
Informal-style juniper

Slanted Style

The slanted-style bonsai trunk does not point straight up. The trunk comes out of the soil at an angle. It points to the left or right.

Slanted-style
Slanted-style juniper

Cascade Style

The cascade-style bonsai look like trees that grow over water or on mountain sides. The tip of the tree is low. It may even fall below the bottom of the pot.

Cascade-style
Cascade-style pine

Broom Style

The broom style has a trunk that is straight and upright. Branches stick out in all directions from about one-third of the way up the trunk.

Broom-style
Broom-style zelkova

Forest Style

The forest style (寄せ植え, Yose-ue) or "group planting" has several trees in one pot. Sometimes they are on a flat slab of rock.

Forest-style
Forest-style spruce

Other Styles

There are many other known styles for Japanese bonsai. When bonsai are shown to the public, or sold in a catalog, their style is often described. This helps people understand the goal of the person who created the bonsai.

Images for kids

Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Moyogi style, about 50 years old, at the Bonsai museum in Pescia, Italy.
Bonsai at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum
Bonsai at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the United States National Arboretum
Chinese Penjing example with a decorated and deep pot.
Drawing of leaves from the Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden. This book greatly influenced bonsai during the Edo period.
Modern bonsai tools (left to right): leaf trimmer; rake with spatula; root hook; coir brush; concave cutter; knob cutter; wire cutter; small, medium and large shears.
Japanese black pine var. 'Kotobuki' as bonsai. This tree is over 65 years old and valued for its flaky bark and very short needles.
Ulmus parvifolia bonsai, multi trunk style, about 100 years old.
Multi-species saikei named Roan Mountain contains Shimpaku juniper and Zakura azalea.
A Pomegranate trained as bonsai, shown after some leaves were removed in late spring. This tree was found in the wild in California. It is thought to be 125 to 175 years old. Notice the dead wood on the trunk, which adds character and shows its old age.
This juniper bonsai uses both jin (deadwood branches) and shari (deadwood on the trunk).
Ulmus parvifolia bonsai, informal upright style, about 120 years old.
Bonsai displayed on an outdoor bench - notice the automatic watering system.
A Seiju elm bonsai on display with a miniature hosta plant and a hanging scroll.
Different types of bonsai pots.
Slant-style conifer.