Chapter 5 Common Bonsai Terminology
Bonsai stylists talk about trees with a shorthand that can sound like a secret code to novices. Let’s clarify what those shorthand terms are, and why they are important.
5.1 Sizes
Bonsai trees can be classified by species, style, or size. Styles are detailed on a different page, and common species have individual entry pages. Size is classified by either height or hands, meaning the number of hands required to lift the tree safely.
| Japanese Name | Required hands to move bonsai | Approximate height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial or Inperiaru | Eight hands | 60 to 80 inches | Some examples are much larger |
| Hachi-uye | Six hands | 40 to 60 inches | |
| Dai or Omono | Four hands | 30 to 48 inches | |
| Chiu or Chumono | Two hands | 16 to 36 inches | Second most common size |
| Katade-mochi | One hand | 10 to 18 inches | Probably the most commonly styled size |
| Komono | One hand | 6 to 10 inches | |
| Mame | One hand | 5 to 8 inches | |
| Shito | Fingertip | 2-4 inches | Thimble-sized pots |
| Keshitsubo | Poppy seed | Under 2 inches | Basically an artfully maintained seedling in thumbnail sized pot |
Shohin is an older umbrella term for small, palm-sized bonsais 4-10 inches tall, including shito, mame and komono sizes. This name is falling out of use.
5.2 Features
Nebari, root flare, or basal flare are different names for the same thing. As a tree grows to maturity, it develops a flared base of scaffold or buttress roots that spread out in all directions. These buttress roots prevent the tree from falling over in the wind or when laden with snow and ice.
Caliper is a tree nursery term for trunk diameter at a specific height or location on a tree.
The front of the tree (or, just front) is the side of the tree that will face the viewer. The front usually is the side that best shows off the nebari and other features. The back of a tree is not usually seen by viewers. Front and back become more important when we explore how to arrange branches to create an illusion of depth.
Penjing trees are designed to be seen from all sides, while traditional bonsai are displayed so they can only be viewed from the front. Non-traditional stylists may have some trees that have multiple good viewpoints. When first starting out, it helps to choose one side of a tree that you want to face the viewer, and style the tree from that point of view.
First (or primary) branch, second (or secondary) branch, and third (or tertiary) branch simply are the names of the first, second, and third branches coming off from the main trunk of the tree. The first or primary branch is the lowest branch on the trunk. These names correspond to the sizes of the branches. The first branch should be the largest branch on the tree, followed by the second then the third branch.
Lateral branches are the branches that point to the left and right when you are looking at the front of the tree. Back branches are those that point out from the back side of the trunk.
Apex/apical refers to any branches or structures near the top of the tree. The leader is the main branch that points upward, forming the apex.
Buds are small clumps of tissue that form new leaves and branches. Buds near the tips of branches in and among the leaves are terminal buds. Buds forming further back on the woody areas of the branches and main trunk are back-buds.
The goals when styling bonsai include creating a sense of space and size. One technique for doing this is to prune the crown into foliage pads (tightly grouped leaves or needles at the end of single branches) that are separated from each other by open space (also called negative space). Foliage pads are closely connected to ramification, which is defined below.
These are less specific terms that are used to describe the overall aesthetic features of the tree.
Taper refers to the gradual reduction in diameter of the main trunk from the base to the apex, or a branch from its base to tip.
Ramification simply means the relative amount of fine branching coming off the main branches. There is no standard measure of ramification, more of a gut feeling that ranges from none to a lot.
Movement means that the trunk or branches have bends and angles tha make them more interesting. Flow is a related term, meaning that the movement of the trunk and branches complement one another, so the eyes flow easily from one part of the tree to the next without sudden changes in shape or style.
Deadwood on a tree is called jin, shari, and uro. Jin refers to a branch that has had the bark removed. Shari refers to a section of the trunk where bark has been removed. Both jin and shari are found almost exclusively on conifer trees. Hollows or cavities in trees are called uro; cavities are found on both conifers and deciduous trees.
5.3 Putting the Terms to Work
Try deciphering this description of a tree from a catalog; the translation is just below it.
This pre-bonsai tree is an informal upright, 36” overall, 4” nebari and 2” caliper main trunk at first branch. First branch is 5” above soil line and extends left. Second branch is 6” above soil line, extending right. First back branch is 1/2 inch higher than second branch, and is 10% larger diameter. All higher branches are smaller than the first branch. Laterals extend 10” to both sides; main back branch is 6”. Most branches have minimal ramification but numerous back-buds. Some movement in main trunk and first three branches. Upper branches straight.
Even without a photograph, an experienced stylist can tell a lot about this tree. Let’s break it down.
It is too tall. Traditionally a balanced bonsai tree’s height will be about six times the width of the nebari. A tree with 4 inches of root flare will look more balanced if it is somewhere around 24 inches tall. In other words, if we bought this tree, we would have some work to do to reduce its height.
The branch placement sounds about right. The first branch is on one side, and the second branch is on the other side of the tree. The third branch (which is called the first back branch in this case) is in the back. The only problem is that the third branch is bigger than the first branch. We’d need to work on that as well.
The length of the laterals is the same on both sides, and they are longer than the back branch. This is both good and bad. Bonsai are designed around asymmetric triangles, which this tree lacks.
- If we look vertically down from the top of the tree towards the pot, the first, second, and third/back branch form a symmetrical triangle.
- If we look at the tree from the front, the two laterals and the apex form another symmetrical triangle.
- The symmetrical triangle can be corrected simply cutting one of the two laterals back from 10” to 8”. Now the tree branches form asymmetric triangles when viewed from the front or from above.
Minimal ramification simply means the grower has not spent time building lots of fine branch tips. That is not a significant defect, because to correct the length of the main branches we probably will have to remove part of at least one of them. Ramification is one of the last stages in developing a tree.
Movement in the lower branches is a good feature. Straight lower branches can take many years to correct. The upper branches will need work, but it is MUCH easier to add movement to younger upper branches.
Overall, this tree will need quite a bit of work to shorten it overall, thicken the first and second branches, add movement in the upper branches, and build fine terminal branches. Having plenty of back-buds is an advantage in that we will have new sprouts that we can use to rebuild branches.
Turning the described tree into a showpiece will be a multi-year project, but the techniques needed are relatively straightforward. That said, turning a tree with good starting elements into a final show-ready tree is as much fun (maybe more) than owning and showing the final tree. So in my opinion this tree would be a good investment.