Because of the flexibility of its branches and growing characteristic, what tree species is most popularly used for bonsai? (hint: gin!)
"add living material to the deadwood, a groove or channel is first carved into it. The living tree (usually a young juniper, because of the species' vigor, flexibility, and ability to endure harsh shaping) is fixed within the channel using non-reactive nails or screws, wire wrappings, or clamps. Over time, the young tree grows into the deadwood channel, which disguises the fact that it is a separate entity. Once firmly in place, the nails, screws, or other affixing devices are removed, and the living tree is cultivated and shaped with typical bonsai techniques. Real driftwood-style bonsai are usually not grown"
"in its native area. Because of its resistance to pollution and salt, it is a popular horticultural tree. In Japan it is widely used as a garden tree both trained as Niwaki and untrained growing as an overstory tree. The trunks and branches are trained from a young age to be elegant and interesting to view. It is one of the classic bonsai subjects, requiring great patience over many years to train properly. Pinus thunbergii Pinus thunbergii (syn: ""Pinus thunbergiana""), also called black pine, Japanese black pine, and Japanese pine, is a pine native to coastal areas of Japan (Kyūshū,"
"for bonsai, and is also grown as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens. The cultivars 'Adcock's Dwarf' and ‘Bonnie Bergman’ have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Pinus parviflora Pinus parviflora, also known as five-needle pine, Ulleungdo white pine, or Japanese white pine, is a pine in the white pine group, ""Pinus"" subgenus ""Strobus"", native to Korea and Japan. It is a coniferous evergreen tree, growing to 15–25 m in height and is usually as broad as it is tall, forming a wide, dense, conical crown. The leaves are needle-like, in bundles of five, with a"
"warm weather and well drained soil to flower well. Bougainvillea glabra Bougainvillea glabra, the lesser bougainvillea or paperflower, is the most common species of bougainvillea used for bonsai. It is an evergreen, climbing shrub with thorny stems. It usually grows tall, occasionally up to . Tiny white flowers usually appear in clusters surrounded by colorful papery bracts, hence the name paperflower. The leaves are dark green, variable in shape, up to long. The flowers are about 0.4 cm in diameter (the pink petal-like structures are not petals, but bracts.) ""B. glabra"" is heat and drought tolerant and frost sensitive. It"
"as a substitute for the rare kaya wood. Black Hills Spruce (""Picea glauca"" var. ""densata"") is used for bonsai (see image). White spruce is the provincial tree of Manitoba and the state tree of South Dakota. Several geographical varieties have been described, but are not accepted as distinct by all authors. These comprise, from east to west: The two western varieties are distinguished by pubescent (downy) shoots, and may be related to extensive hybridisation and/or intergradation with the closely related Engelmann spruce found further south in the Rocky Mountains. White spruce also hybridises readily with the closely related Sitka spruce"
"needles, fresh spring foliage, and – especially – autumn colour are appreciated. European larch, Japanese larch, and Tamarack larch are the species most commonly trained as bonsai. The edible larch boletes grow in symbiotic association with larch trees. Often, in Eurasian shamanism, the ""world tree"" is depicted as specifically a larch tree. Larch Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal"
"etc. First popular in the United States in the Los Angeles gardens in Mediterranean style homes, and now commonly found along both the West and East Coast in beach and coastal areas. The cultivar 'Shimpaku' is a very important bonsai subject. The Chinese juniper is widely used in bonsai, both as individual plants, such as the 250-year-old ""Omiya tree"" in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in the UK, and in groups, such as the well-known ""Goshin"" on display at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the US National Arboretum. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of"
"health and vigor of the subject tree. Over time, the artistic manipulation of small trees in containers has led to a number of cultivation and care approaches that successfully meet the practical and the artistic requirements of bonsai and similar traditions. The term ""bonsai"" is generally used in English as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots. In this article ""bonsai"" should be understood to include any container-grown tree that is regularly styled or shaped, not just one being maintained in the Japanese bonsai tradition. Bonsai can be created from nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or"
"Bougainvillea glabra Bougainvillea glabra, the lesser bougainvillea or paperflower, is the most common species of bougainvillea used for bonsai. It is an evergreen, climbing shrub with thorny stems. It usually grows tall, occasionally up to . Tiny white flowers usually appear in clusters surrounded by colorful papery bracts, hence the name paperflower. The leaves are dark green, variable in shape, up to long. The flowers are about 0.4 cm in diameter (the pink petal-like structures are not petals, but bracts.) ""B. glabra"" is heat and drought tolerant and frost sensitive. It is easily propagated by cuttings. It needs full sunlight,"
"with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot-resistant. For example, Horyuji Temple and Osaka Castle are built from hinoki wood. The hinoki grown in Kiso, used for building Ise Shrine, are called 御神木 ""go-shin-boku"" ""divine tree"". It is also a popular ornamental tree in parks and gardens, both in Japan and elsewhere in temperate climates, including western Europe and parts of North America. A large number of cultivars have been selected for garden planting, including dwarf forms, forms with yellow leaves, and forms with congested foliage. It is also often grown as bonsai. Hinoki wood is used as a"
"different varieties, but some popular ones are chinzan, kaho, gyoten, osakasuki, eikan, nikko, hakurei, hakurin, kinsai, and many more. Satsuki azaleas are popular bonsai plants for many reasons. It can take a hard pruning, the flowers are amazing, and they can be developed fast. Since azaleas prefer to be slightly acidic, a popular soil to grow them in is kanuma. Repotting is a big stress to any tree, and bare rooting is the biggest stress to a tree. When repotting Satsuki azaleas, it is better to do it in early to mid spring. Some people say that you should repot"
"be created from nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or shrub species that produces true branches and can be cultivated to remain small through pot confinement with crown and root pruning. Some species are popular as bonsai material because they have characteristics, such as small leaves or needles, that make them appropriate for the compact visual scope of bonsai and a miniature deciduous forest can even be created using such species as Japanese maple, Japanese zelkova or hornbeam. Tree shaping is the practice of changing living trees and other woody plants into man made shapes for art and useful structures. There"
"large shrub or small tree in gardens, particularly in Japan and the southeastern United States. The ripe cone arils are edible, though the seed should not be eaten. Because of its resistance to termites and water, inumaki is used for quality wooden houses in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Buddhist pine is highly regarded as a feng shui tree in Hong Kong, giving it a very high market value. In recent years, the illegal digging of Buddhist pine has become a problem in the city. This species can be trained as a bonsai. Podocarpus macrophyllus Podocarpus macrophyllus is a conifer in the"
"the range of Mount Pinos sooty grouse. White fir is a preferred construction species because of its nail-holding ability, lightness in weight, and resistance to split, twist, and pitch. It is straight-grained, non-resinous, fine-textured, stiff, and strong. White fir is popular as a Christmas tree and for Christmas decoration owing to its soft needles, generally excellent needle retention and abundance. It is often marketed as concolor or white fir. White fir is widely planted as an ornamental tree in parks and larger gardens, particularly some cultivars of subsp. ""concolor"" selected for very bright glaucous blue foliage, such as cv. 'Violacea'."
"species in bonsai. ""S. paucicostata"", from northern China, is the most cold-tolerant species and is occasionally grown in gardens in Europe and North America, though it is not generally considered very attractive as an ornamental plant. It is reputedly used as a way of cleaning minor cuts and lacerations, ensuring any germs left over will not infect the wound. Sageretia Sageretia (mock buckthorn or sageretia) is a genus of about 35 species of shrubs and small trees in the family Rhamnaceae, native to southern and eastern Asia and northeast Africa. They have small green leaves 1.5–4 cm long, and a"
"mangroves. The wood of this species has been traditionally valued in many cultures for it is hard and heavy, as well as resistant to rot and warping. It also has naturally a fine finish and may be fashioned into walking canes, fence posts, tool handles, and even anchors. In Réunion and Mauritius it is known as ""bois matelot"" In the Maldives this hardy wood was used in traditional shipbuilding to hold the planks of the hull together, as well as to fashion ""nails"" in local sorcery. ""Pemphis acidula"" is also one of the plant species used in bonsai, particularly in"
"material and in various gardens, such as rock gardens. Shimpaku Juniper are one of the most popular species for bonsai within the bonsai community. Its attractive foliage and beautiful bark make this one of the top candidates for bonsai. Many wild trees have been collected in Japan, making it extremely rare to find growing wild. In fact, today the Shimpaku junipers growing in the wild in Japan face extinction due to over collecting. Shimpaku was and is very dangerous to collect. Many of the best Shimpaku live only in remote cliff areas. It is said that the first Shimpaku to"
"sand. For better effect, the bonsai can be placed in enclosures, such as terrariums, that are humidified from within. For the maximum humidity, a dedicated room with high-capacity evaporative or misting humidifiers can support the most sensitive bonsai. The creation of bonsai is limited only by the imagination and talent of the gardener, although some species are much more suitable than others. Members of the genus ""Ficus"" are among the most versatile, while many succulents can be grown in a similar fashion. Here is an incomplete list of the most popular species. Small succulents may be used as accent plants:"
"bonsai. Usually, deadwood techniques for branches are applied to conifers. Deciduous trees tend to shed dead branches and heal over the wound, while conifers often retain the dead limb, which naturally becomes weathered and eroded over time. Most deadwood techniques for the tree's trunk apply equally well to deciduous and to conifer bonsai, although the driftwood style (in which much of the trunk is dead) is generally restricted to conifers. Jin (神) is a bonsai deadwood technique used on branches or the top of the trunk (the ""leader""). A jin is meant to show age, or show that the tree"
"maintain their branch flexibility through multiple growing seasons. Wires are also used to connect a branch to another object (e.g., another branch, the pot itself) so that tightening the wire applies force to the branch. Some species do not lignify strongly, and some specimens' branches are too stiff or brittle to be bent easily. These cases are not conducive to wiring, and shaping them is accomplished primarily through pruning. For larger specimens, or species with stiffer wood, bonsai artists also use mechanical devices for shaping trunks and branches. The most common are screw-based clamps, which can straighten or bend a"
"vigor to lower branches, which will grow more quickly and help increase trunk diameter, reinforcing the illusion of age. A top jin also provides an aesthetic solution for a tree with two leaders, an unaesthetic shape that the designer can modify by turning one of the two into a jin. When used on branches, the jin technique allows the grower to remove some of a bonsai's unwanted branches while increasing the illusion of age. A remaining jin may be long, with a pleasing shape bent or carved into it, or short, like the dead remains of a branch broken off"
"covered in irregular, thick, large plates of bark. Pitch pine has an exceptionally high regenerative ability; if the main trunk is cut or damaged by fire it can re-sprout using epicormic shoots. This is one of its many adaptations to fire, which also includes a thick bark to protect the sensitive cambium layer from heat. Burnt trees often form stunted, twisted trees with multiple trunks as a result of the resprouting. This characteristic also makes it a popular species for bonsai. Pitch pine is rapid-growing when young, gaining around one foot of height per year under optimal conditions until the"
"are often placed in unglazed pots, while deciduous trees usually appear in glazed pots. Pots are also distinguished by their size. The overall design of the bonsai tree, the thickness of its trunk, and its height are considered when determining the size of a suitable pot. Some pots are highly collectible, like ancient Chinese or Japanese pots made in regions with experienced pot makers such as Tokoname, Japan or Yixing, China. Today many potters worldwide produce pots for bonsai. The Japanese tradition describes bonsai tree designs using a set of commonly understood, named styles. The most common styles include formal"
"solid rock slabs. Other unconventional containers can also be used, but in formal bonsai display and competitions in Japan, the ceramic bonsai pot is the most common container. For bonsai being shown formally in their completed state, pot shape, color, and size are chosen to complement the tree as a picture frame is chosen to complement a painting. In general, containers with straight sides and sharp corners are used for formally shaped plants, while oval or round containers are used for plants with informal designs. Many aesthetic guidelines affect the selection of pot finish and color. For example, evergreen bonsai"
"in relation to the wood fibers. ""Cryptomeria japonica"" is extensively used in forestry plantations in Japan, China and the Azores islands, and is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree in other temperate areas, including Britain, Europe, North America and eastern Himalaya regions of Nepal and India. The cultivar 'Elegans' is notable for retaining juvenile foliage throughout its life, instead of developing normal adult foliage when one year old (see the picture with different shoots). It makes a small, shrubby tree tall. There are numerous dwarf cultivars that are widely used in rock gardens and for bonsai, including 'Tansu', 'Koshyi', 'Little"
"used to make lubricants and soap. The tree is also a source of turpentine resin and tannin. The Korean pine is used as an ornamental tree. It is tolerant of several soil types and thrives in urban settings. It is adapted to climates with very cold winters. There are several cultivars, including the blue-tinged 'Glauca' and 'Silveray' and the wide-bodied 'Winton'. The wood is versatile and very useful for construction. It is light, with straight grains, and easy to work. It is used for a great variety of products, including telephone poles, railroad ties, bridges, boats, plywood and flooring, furniture,"
"Generally a wet pulp from the inner bark, or pine tar mixed with beeswax or butter was applied to wounds and used as a salve to prevent infection. ""Pinus strobus"" is cultivated by plant nurseries as an ornamental tree, for planting in gardens and parks. The species is low-maintenance and rapid growing as a specimen tree. With regular shearing it can also be trained as a hedge. Some cultivars are used in bonsai. Cultivars have been selected for small to dwarf mature forms, and foliage color characteristics. They include: Smaller specimens are popular as live Christmas trees. Eastern white pines"
"Japan more than a thousand years ago, there are similar practices in other cultures like the living miniature landscapes of Vietnam ""hòn non bộ"". The word ""bonsai"" is often used in English as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots. The purposes of bonsai are primarily contemplation (for the viewer) and the pleasant exercise of effort and ingenuity (for the grower). Bonsai practice focuses on long-term cultivation and shaping of one or more small trees growing in a container, beginning with a cutting, seedling, or small tree of a species suitable for bonsai development. Bonsai can"
"and sub-tropical tree species will survive and grow indoors. Some of these tropical and sub-tropical species are suited to bonsai aesthetics and can be shaped much as traditional outdoor bonsai are. Bonsai Bonsai (, ) is a Japanese art form using cultivation techniques to produce small trees in containers that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of ""penzai"" or ""penjing"" from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese . The Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years. The Japanese loanword ""bonsai"" has"
"shrub species which produces true branches and remains small through pot confinement with crown and root pruning. Some species are popular as bonsai material because they have characteristics, such as small leaves or needles, that make them appropriate for the compact visual scope of bonsai. Bonsai cultivation techniques are different from other tree cultivation techniques in allowing mature (though miniature) trees to grow in small containers, to survive with extremely restricted root and canopy structures, and to support comprehensive, repeated styling manipulations. All bonsai start with a specimen of source material, a plant that the grower wishes to train into"
"The genera are: pines (genus Pinus), spruces (genus Picea), firs (genus Abies), and cypress (genus Cupressa). In addition to these, the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii) is also commonly used as a Christmas tree, but it is not a true fir. The most commonly grown species include Eastern White pine, Virginia pine, Scotch pine, Colorado Blue spruce, Norway spruce, Serbian spruce, White spruce, Balsam fir, Grand fir, Frasier fir, Canaan fir, Noble fir, Turkish fir, White fir, Blue Ice Carolina and Sapphire cypress (both are sterile hybrids of the Arizona cypress), Leyland cypress, Eastern Red cedar, and Douglas fir. These trees"
"cigarettes. The antibiotic activity of benzoin resin seems mostly due to its abundant benzoic acid and benzoic acid esters, which were named after the resin; other less well known secondary compounds such as lignans like pinoresinol are likely significant too. Several species of storax are popular ornamental trees in parks and gardens, especially ""S. japonicus"" and its cultivars like 'Emerald Pagoda', and ""Styrax obassia"". The wood of larger species is suitable for fine handicrafts. That of ""egonoki"" (エゴノキ, ""S. japonicus"") is used to build ""kokyū"" (胡弓), the Japanese bowed instrument. The resin of ""Styrax"" acts to kill wound pathogens and"
"reasons, the guidelines outlined here are generally most effective and most often applied to larger bonsai, while the smallest specimens of bonsai may adhere to no rules other than ""miniature tree"" and ""grown in a container"". This refers to enhancing the “woody-ness” of a bonsai’s trunk and branches so that they have a mature appearance. This typically means the bark surface is encouraged to become rough and dark-colored. In some cases this aesthetic technique will vary, as in a birch tree bonsai attaining the white colour and exfoliating bark of a mature specimen. Bonsai aesthetics discourage strict symmetry in branch"