Bonsai pdf 5/31/06 11:18 AM Page 1

THE BONSAI COLLECTION

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s bonsai
collection is regarded by bonsai experts as
one of the best public collections in the world.
It includes 185 bonsai in twenty styles and
more than 40 kinds of plants, including
evergreen, deciduous, tropical, flowering and
fruiting trees.
Since the entire collection cannot be displayed
at once, select species are rotated through a
display area in the Education Center’s East
Courtyard from May through October. Each
one takes the stage when it is most beautiful.
To see photographs of bonsai from the collection,
visit www.chicagobotanic.org/bonsai.

Assembling the Collection

BONSAI Predominantly composed of donated

specimens, the collection includes gifts from
local enthusiasts and Midwest Bonsai Society
members. In 2000, Susumu Nakamura, a
COLLECTION Japanese bonsai master and longstanding
friend of the Chicago Botanic Garden, donated
19 of his finest bonsai to the collection. This
A remarkable collection gift enabled the collection to advance to
world-class status.
of majestic trees
Caring for the Collection
in miniature When not on display, the bonsai in the
Chicago Botanic Garden’s collection are
housed in a secured greenhouse that has both
outdoor and indoor facilities. There the bonsai
are watered, fertilized, wired, trimmed and
repotted by staff and volunteers. Several times
a year, bonsai master Susumu Nakamura
travels from his home in Japan to provide
guidance for the care and training of this
important collection.

What Is a Bonsai?
Japanese and Chinese languages use the same
characters to represent bonsai (pronounced
“bone-sigh”). One character means “pot” or
“tray,” and the other means “to plant.” Bonsai
are ordinary trees and shrubs that have been
trained in pots to grow into naturally
beautiful shapes.
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Most bonsai are small enough to sit on a BONSAI STYLES

table, and yet they are designed to look like In the Japanese bonsai tradition, each
full-sized trees, or groups of trees. To achieve bonsai must conform to a clearly defined
this illusion, a bonsai artist must understand style. There are more than 100 recognized
how a tree grows in nature and then use his styles in bonsai, but most experts consider
or her skills to encourage the tree to develop five basic styles to be essential—formal
the characteristics of old age even though the upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade
tree isn’t necessarily old. and semi-cascade. The Chicago Botanic
Bonsai artists train and dwarf trees through Garden’s bonsai collection includes speci-
pruning, trimming and wiring plants with a mens in a range of 20 different styles.
clear sense of the final design of the tree. This guide will help you become familiar with
Each tree is designed to have a front the essential bonsai styles and their Japanese
(intended for viewing) and a back. names.
A Brief History of Bonsai Formal Upright
The first form of bonsai appeared in China (Chokkan)
over a thousand years ago, where it began as
A bonsai tree trained in the
the practice of growing single specimen trees
formal upright style mimics the
in pots. These earliest bonsai were naturally
growth of a tree under perfect
dwarfed trees that were collected from
natural conditions. The most
nature, potted and trained as bonsai.
important requirement for this
The Japanese began practicing bonsai style is that the trunk must be
sometime during the historical Heian period perfectly straight, tapering
(794-1185), adopting the art from Chinese naturally and evenly from bottom to top.
culture and refining it to a level of sophistica-
The best species for training in the formal
tion that had not yet been seen. For the
upright style are larches, junipers, pines and
Japanese, bonsai came to represent a
spruces because of their naturally tapered
philosophy of harmony between humans,
shape.
the soul and nature.
By the late 1800s, Japan had opened its Informal Upright
boundaries to the rest of the world, and the (Moyogi)
miniature trees in containers were highly
In nature, trees bend or change
sought after by enthusiastic collectors outside
their growth direction in
of Japan. Bonsai exhibits at late 19th- and
response to their environ-
early 20th-century world’s fairs in Europe
ment. They might grow away
and the United States also contributed to
from the wind or other trees,
creating interest in the West.
or grow toward sunlight. The
Today the art of bonsai is a well-known informal upright bonsai style rep-
and respected horticultural art form that is resents this natural curve of a tree trunk in
practiced worldwide. an imperfect environment.
In the informal upright style, the top of the
tree, its apex, is usually positioned directly
over its base, so the overall effect is that of an
upright tree. Most species of sturdy plants are
suitable for training in this style, but the
most popular are maples.
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Slanting
Because the broom shape is so common in
(Shakkan)
nature, broom-style bonsai trees are often con-
Trees slant naturally as a result of sidered to be the most realistic-looking. The
exposure to buffeting winds or broom style, though, is considered an advanced
deep shade when they are technique and is difficult to achieve.
young. A bonsai tree trained in
Deciduous trees are the best candidates for
this style displays a trunk that
training in this style, especially those with fine
leans to the left or right to imply
branches and leaves. The elm is the most popu-
a difficult childhood.
lar species of tree used for growing and training
Some bonsai trees that have been trained to in the broom style.
slant look as if they will fall over because of the
angle at which they lean. No need to worry, Windswept
though – these trees have strong roots growing (Fukinagashi)
under the soil that support the tree’s weight.
The windswept bonsai has all of its
The slanting bonsai style is similar to the infor- living branches facing the same
mal upright, but in this style the tree’s apex is direction, a training method cre-
not directly over its base. ating the illusion of a tree that
grew up in a very windy place.
Cascade When done well, windswept bon-
(Kengai) sai trees can look as if they are still
The cascade style of bonsai calls being lashed by the wind.
to mind a weather-beaten old The windswept effect can be applied to basic
tree clinging to a cliff face. In bonsai styles of trees, including formal or infor-
this style, the tree’s growing tip mal upright, slanting or semi-cascade trees. You
extends below the base of its may see a bonsai that fits into more than one
container. A cascade bonsai styling category because of a combination of
appears to be struggling against techniques.
gravity or seeking out scant sunlight.
The windswept style is most effectively applied
The semi-cascade (han-kengai) bonsai style is to conifer species of trees. The effect is more
similar to the cascade style. In this form, the difficult to achieve convincingly with deciduous
tree grows over the rim of the container but trees because their leaves face in all directions.
does not drop below the container’s base.
Forest
Many species of plants will adapt to cascade
training, as long as they are not strongly (Yose-ue)
upright naturally. Juniper is a favorite for Forest-style bonsai plantings con-
training in the cascade and semi-cascade styles. sist of several trees of the same
species growing in a single pot.
Broom In the Japanese tradition, trees
(Hokidachi) are always planted in odd-num-
A broom-style bonsai looks like a bered groups that are said to echo
conventional handmade broom, the randomness of nature.
turned upside down. Branches Although a bonsai forest is viewed from outside,
fan out from the top of a single the style is meant to give the viewer the sensa-
straight trunk. This style tion of actually being within a forest.
imitates one of the common
natural shapes of trees.
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PLANTS FOR BONSAI TO LEARN MORE

Any substantial plant can be trained into a
bonsai if it can adapt to the shallow pots and Lewis, Colin. Bonsai Survival Manual.
restricted growth that bonsai require. Most Pownal, Vt.: Storey Communications, Inc., 1996.
-
Naka, John Yoshio. Bonsai Techniques, Vols. I and II.
bonsai are hardy outdoor plants that need a
period of cold dormancy in the winter to Whittier, Calif.: Bonsai Institute of California, 1973 & 1982.
thrive, but they should be protected from the Yoshimura, Yuji and Giovanna M. Halford.
harshest winter conditions. The Japanese Art of Miniature Trees and Landscapes;
Their Creation, Care and Enjoyment. Rutland, Vt.:
Some of the most popular species have Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., 1971.
remained so for centuries among bonsai
enthusiasts. They offer special features such as
flowers, attractive bark, small foliage or sea-
sonal fruits and cones. They include the fol-
lowing plants:
Azalea (Rhododendron) - These are easily
trained into tree form and can be used for
most styles. In late spring, they produce
spectacular flowers. Several flower colors are
available.
Beech (Fagus) - Deciduous beeches tend to be
grown in informal bonsai styles. They require
very special and delicate technique in styling.
Fig (Ficus) - This tropical family includes
some species that have been trained to grow
as indoor bonsai. Still, these plants should be
placed outside when the weather allows.
Juniper (Juniperus) - Probably the easiest
genus for a beginner, evergreen juniper is
readily available and can be trained in most
styles.
Maple (Acer) - Two main species of maple are
used in bonsai: Japanese maple (Acer palma-
tum) and trident maple (Acer buergerianum).
These deciduous plants are easy to care for,
and many display stunning fall colors.
Pine (Pinus) - Pines make beautiful bonsai,
but are not ideal for a first tree because they
are difficult to train. The best pines are
varieties with short needles because they
support the illusion of a full-sized tree.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.