Bonsai Glossary
Formal upright
Straight and upright, typical of trees grown in open lowland countryside. The branches radiate out evenly around a gradually tapering trunk. Heavier, wider branches at the bottom, thinning and shortening towards the top.
Informal upright
Curved trunk, elegantly moving upwards and tapering. Branches as before.
Slanting
A pronounced lean to one side and then turning upwards. Branches as before.
Semi-cascade
The bulk of the trunk leans out of the pot, almost looking like it would fall over, as in a tree overhanging a river. Prostrate varieties naturally cling to the ground, and when repotted with the growth overhanging, this creates the effect.
Cascade
Representative of mountain trees hanging down over an exposed cliff. The 2014 text said “handing down.” The trunk falls out of the pot like a waterfall with elegant curves.
Literati
A term evoking a minimal image of trunks and branches, inspired by singular trees on horizons, with a striking silhouette, with dead branches, and a feeling of a hard life and a tenuous grip on life.
Raft
Multiple trunks coming from a horizontal connecting base. In nature, caused by a tree falling over or suckering from the original tree.
Forest planting
As its name, a group of trees in a form that looks like a small coppice. Always plant in odd numbers and not less than 3. Always has a dominant tree, and the others generally sloping away so that in silhouette it forms a mound. The 2014 text said “slopping away” and “looks likes.”
Windswept
Coastal areas of heavy wind cause a tree to lean away from the wind, losing windward branches, and the others flowing away as if like ribbons on the other side. The 2014 text said “loosing.”