subject: Learn The Different Bonsai Styles [print this page] Learn The Different Bonsai Styles Learn The Different Bonsai Styles
In the world of bonsai, trees are trained and pruned to imitate the forms found in natural full-sized trees. Since bonsai are always designed to be seen from a "front," these shapes aren't strictly naturalistic; they symbolize natural shapes rather than duplicating them precisely.
Hokidachi - Broom Style
The broom style represents the graceful, rounded form of a deciduous tree allowed to grow without competition; the trunk is straight and tapering, and the branches fan out and branch finely to produce a smoothly rounded crown.
Chokkan - Formal Upright Style
The formal upright style symbolizes the growth of a conifer. Like hokidachi, the truck is straight, but rather than fanning out, the branches grow straight out to the sides in an alternating pattern. The tree tapers to a point at the top.
Moyogi - Informal Upright Style
The informal upright style is similar to the formal upright style, but the trunk of the tree is slanted at the base and bends at every branching point, creating an overall vertical presentation while having a trunk that curves.
Shakkan - Slanting Style
When a tree grows partly in shadow or under the influence of a strong, consistent wind, the trunk may grow at a slant. The shakkan style imitates this type of tree; the trunk leans at a distinct angle, supported by a strong root system and counterbalancing branches.
Kengai and Han-Kengai - Cascade and Semi-Cascade Styles
The cascade styles of bonsai depict a tree growing by the side of a cliff or riverbank. Sometimes in nature, trees are bent into a cascading form by the weight of snow. These bonsai hang below the rim of the pot; full cascade bonsai hang so deeply that the tip drops below the bottom of the pot.
Bujingi - Literati Style
This style is named after the scholars and artists who favor this style. The bonsai is stretched and gnarled, representing a tree that has to struggle for sunlight and survival. Bujingi bonsai are often ornamented with de-barked areas of dead wood called jin and shari, to show the damage the tree has suffered in its life.
Fukinagashi - Windswept Style
Another kind of wind-bent bonsai is fukinagashi. In this style, branches grow from all sides of the tree, but are all bent in one direction as if pushed by a strong wind. This is another style that represents the tree's struggle to survive.
