12 Bonsai Styles Explained in Detail: Understand Bonsai Shaping in One Article

Illustrated Guide to the 12 "Natural-Style" Bonsai Forms

Natural style: mimicking the solitary trees and forest spirit of nature, with changeable shapes and countless postures.

Its styling can be summarized into 12 forms.

Formal upright style:

The tree stands upright, with the imposing momentum of an ancient towering tree standing firm; in Lingnan it is also called the "big tree type."

Slanting style:

The trunk lies horizontally, while the branches and crown spread out flat beyond the pot, like an ancient tree at the water's edge, so it is also called the waterside style.

Cascade style:

The trunk hangs outward and downward, resembling an ancient pine on a sheer cliff. If the trunk hangs no lower than the bottom of the pot, it is called semi-cascade; if it hangs below the bottom of the pot, it is called full cascade. In Yangzhou it is also called "guakou."

Horizontal trunk style:

The trunk lies horizontally on the soil surface, while the branches and crown rise and extend, like the momentum of a tree struck by lightning or blown down by wind.

Curved trunk style:

The trunk is coiled and twisted like a curling dragon, mostly seen in traditional forms.

Multiple-trunk style:

The trunks grow in clusters, uneven in height, with twisted branches extending in all directions. Among these there are also the double-trunk style, triple-trunk style, or single-root multiple-trunk style.

Deadwood style:

The main trunk is mottled, with holes eaten through and hollowed out, extremely rich in an air of ancient age.

Weeping branch style:

The branches and leaves droop and spread down profusely, like a willow hanging over green waves.

Wind-swept style:

The branches and leaves drift to one side in the wind, full of movement, like strong grass in a fierce wind.

Connected-root style:

Thick roots are exposed and connected, the stems are uneven in height, arranged in a pleasing disorder. In Yangzhou it is commonly called "crossing the bridge," and in Guangdong and Guangxi it is called "joined trees."

Raised-root style:

Through cultivation techniques and shaping methods, the form of the twisted, winding root system is transformed, presenting an air of ancient age.

Forest style:

Multiple plants are planted in clusters, just like open countryside, with clumps of sparse woods growing in the mountains.

Wonderful content