1. Tennessee Valley
Bonsai Society
An Introduction
to Bonsai

2. Bonsai
“Bone-sigh”
A tree in a tray
A plant in a pot
A perspective
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

3. Bonsai
Historical origins
Characteristics
Species
Size
Style
Desirable elements
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

4. Bonsai
Historical origins
China
Japan
Western world
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

5. China
Pre-1100
First evidence on paintings
Landscapes
Individual plants
Collected
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

6. Japan
1185–1333 Zen Buddhism
Originally collected from wild
Singular trees
Later cultivated
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

7. Western World
First observed with opening of Japan
Emperor gift to President Lincoln
Popularized at Chicago Exposition in
1898 and Paris world exhibition in 1900
Not so popular during WWII
Now very popular
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

8. Species
Evergreen
Deciduous
Tropical
Any plant with a woody trunk
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

9. Sizes of Tree
Mame (one hand): up to 6”
Chumono (two hands): up to 24”
Dai (four hands): up to 48”
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

10. Styles of Tree
Formal upright
Informal upright
Slanting
Semi-cascade
Cascade
Broom
Literati
Windswept
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

11. Formal Upright
The formal upright
style has a straight,
erect trunk from base
to apex.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

12. Informal Upright
The informal upright
style has a curved
trunk with the apex
over the base.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

13. Slanting
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.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

14. 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.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

15. Cascade
The cascade style
bonsai has a trunk
which bends sharply
down, and the tip of
the cascade is below
the feet of the
container.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

16. Broom
The broom style has
a straight, short trunk
looking like an upside
down broom.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

17. Literati
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.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

18. Windswept
The windswept
bonsai style has most
of its limbs slanting in
the same direction.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

19. Formal Upright
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

20. Informal Upright
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

21. Slanted
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

22. Semi-cascade
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

23. Cascade
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

24. Broom
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

25. Literati
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

26. Windswept
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

27. Desirable Elements
Roots
Branches
Trunk
Leaf structure
Longevity
Container
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

28. Bonsai
An art form
Michelangelo:
Look for the statue within the stone, and
remove that which is extraneous.
Bonsaist:
Look for the tree within the tree, and
remove that which is extraneous.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)

29. Let us begin.
Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society (3/2011)