Bonsai Types






Information on Bonsai Types is essential for you to frame a grown up bonsai plant picture in your mind. Here you will learn about various types of the bonsai plants that will help you in your hobby.

Bonsai as we all know is an ancient art the origin of which can be traced back to china. It could be simply explained as a tree planted in a small container. With constant care and by following the techniques of wiring and pruning the trees can be trained to grow into miniature size.

Bonsai as an art form that demands a lot of patience, dedication and perseverance on the part of the practitioner, but in the end it would give a lot of satisfaction when you finally see your bonsai tree in its full grandeur.

Bonsai Based on Size

Bonsai tree come in many different varieties. Bonsai in terms of size, can be classified as follows:

  • Shito: Bonsai trees up to the height of 5cm come under this category.
  • Mame: Bonsai trees with height ranging from 5cm to 7cm are called as mame bonsai.
  • Shohin: Bonsai trees with height up to 20cm in height are called as Shohin bonsai.
  • Kifu: Bonsai trees with height ranging from 20cm to 40cm are called as Kifu bonsai.
  • Chu: Bonsai trees with height ranging from 40cm to 60cm are called as Chu bonsai.
  • Dai: Trees with height greater 60cm are popularly knows as Dai bonsai types.

Bonsai is also categorized as indoors or outdoors bonsai based on their tendency to grow indoors or outdoors.

It is generally preferable to choose trees which grow well in tropical and subtropical climate to grow as indoor bonsai types. Trees like the Fukien Tea Tree, Fig Tree, Serissa, Chinese Elms etc, are best suited to grow indoors.

While growing indoors it is very important to understand that the bonsai trees would need to be supplemented with artificial lights, as they will not be exposed to the natural sunlight properly. It is generally advisable to place indoors bonsai types on window sills or at places which get sunlight for a good part of the day.

Outdoor bonsai include trees which are either evergreen or deciduous. It is very essential to protect the outdoor bonsai trees against the harsh climatic conditions during the winters. Trees generally chosen for outdoor bonsai are Junipers, Oaks, Olives, Pines, Cedars and Spruce etc.

The general bonsai tree care guidelines would be applicable for all types. One needs to have a good understanding of the techniques of watering, pruning, re potting, wiring, etc to create a good bonsai tree.

Bonsai Based on Style

We may also classify different bonsai plants based on the style in which they are grown. The most common of the bonsai styles are

  • Formal Upright Style
  • Informal Upright Style
  • Cascade and Semi-Cascade Styles
  • Root over rock style
  • Forest style
  • Literati Style

Although we have many different styles for bonsai, but it is not mandatory to have your bonsai grow in the documented styles. You could very well use you own imagination and creativity to create your own unique style.

We could also define many other different types based on many parameters but the basic principles still hold good for all the bonsai types. So take care of the basics and you would have absolutely no trouble with the art of Bonsai.




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