Bonsai Styles

1
Bonsai Styles

• By
• Louise Leister
• and
• Tom Zane

2
Five Basic Classical Styles of Bonsai

• Formal Upright
• Informal Upright
• Slanting
• Semi Cascade
• Cascade

3
Formal Upright

• The formal upright style has a straight, erect
  trunk from base to apex.

4
Informal Upright

• The informal upright style has a curved trunk
  with the apex over the base.

5
Slanting Style

• The Slanting style has either a straight or
  curved trunk leaning to the left or to the right
  with the apex generally above the rim of the
  container.

6
Semi Cascade

• The Semi cascade style has a trunk which grows
  up and out at a considerable angle, with the tip
  of the cascade between the rim and the feet of
  the container.

7
Cascade Style

• The Cascade style bonsai has a trunk which bends
  sharply down, and the tip of the cascade is below
  the feet of the container.

8
Variations of Style

• Roots-over-Rock
• Roots-on-Rock
• Broom
• Windswept
• Twin Trunk
• Triple Trunk
• Clump

• Twin Tree
• Group or Forest
• Literati
• Saikei
• Weeping
• Raft
• Dead Wood

9
Roots over Rock

• A bonsai may have a characteristic which is more
  apparent and more descriptive than is the shape
  of its trunk.

Roots-over-rock is one of these. It has roots
which wrap around and grow down a rock into the
soil.
10
Root on Rock

• The root on rock style is one in which the
  root ball is planted in a pocket in a rock or is
  planted on a rock slab.

11
Broom

• The broom style has a straight, short trunk
  looking like an upside down broom.

12
Windswept

• The windswept bonsai style has most of its limbs
  slanting in the same direction.

13
Twin Trunk

• The twin trunk style has a single root system
  from which two trunks grow.

The trees should vary in size.
14
Triple Trunk

• The triple trunk style has a single root system
  from which three trunks grow.

The trees should vary in size.
15
Clump Style

• The clump style has one root system, more than
  three trees but of an uneven number.

The trees should vary in size.
16
Raft Style

• In the raft style the trunk of the tree is
  planted on its side.

The roots grow into the soil from the trunk and
the branches become individual trees.
17
Twin Tree

• The twin tree style has two separate trees,
  usually of the same species, which vary in size.

18
Group or Forest Planting

• The group style or forest planting has an uneven
  number of trees, usually of the same style and
  species, with variation in size.

19
Literati Style

• The Literati style looks like the stylized trees
  in some Chinese paintings or Japanese woodblock
  prints.

They have slender and strangely bent trunks with
sparse foliage.
20
Saikei

• Saikei is a grouping of plants and rocks to form
  a landscaped scene.

21
Weeping Style

• Some bonsai are appreciated for their weeping
  attitude.

22
Dead Wood

• Others display large amounts of dead wood or
  drift wood which shows great age and hardship.

23
In Summary

• Bonsai may be grown in various shapes or styles.
• The name applied to the style is based on the
  major feature of the tree
• Upright, slanting, cascading, weeping, etc.