Bonsai. "Bon" meens "a pot" and "sai" meens "tree" or "plant".
Bonsais are miniature trees that grows in pots.
They are made with a special methods not with special trees.

History

The Bonsai culture came original from China and was developed by the Japanese. Al ready befor year 1000 there are bonsais (or punsai that it's called in chinese) in Poems from China.
In the 13th century, the Japanese collected and potted wild trees but these trees wore dwarfed by nature. Those trees was the first bonsais.
Over the years, the Japanese devised standards of shape and form which gradually began the classic bonsai styles.

The Standard shapes

Here are some standard shapes for Bonsais.

Formal Upright-Chokkan
Chokkan-bonsais has a straight trunk that gets thiner against the top. The branches forms a triangle with the short branches in the top and then tall in the bottom. The distance between the branches gets less in the top.
Informal Upright-Moyogi
The Moyogi is like the Chokkan though it's trunk isn't Formal Upright, it's turned.
This is the most common bonsai stile.
Slanting-Shakan
Shakan-bonsais looks like a Cokkan-bonsais but the Shakan is leaning against one side.
NO
PICTURE
Windsweped-Fukinagashi
This bonsai stile is leaning against one side but the Fukinagashi bonsai has all it's branches on the side it's leans on.
Cascade-Kengai
The kengai bonsai has a very turned and hanging trunk. To get balance between tree and pot are cascade shaped bonsais always poted in high pots.
Literati-Bunjingi
This shape did get it's name from chinese landscapepainters, Literati.
It is the trunk you should see. The pot and the branches shouldn't get any atention.
Broom-Hokidachi
The "Broom" has a straight trunk and branches in a fan-shape. The tree reminds you of a big broom.
Rock planting-Ishitsuki
Rock planted bonsais are placed on a rock with the roots growing down in the soil underneath the rock or the tree is planted in a hole in thr rock with out contact with the soil underneath.
Twin Trunk-Sokan
The Twin Trunk has two trunks (of course) with the ramification or fork long down by the soil. The both trunks are usualy of different size.
Forest-Yose-ue
Forest plantages is many trees that forms one unit.
The trees can be Windsweped, Formal upright...

The different sizes

Bonsai has tree different sizes: Small, Medium and Large.
Small: Small bonsais you can carry with one hand.
Medium: With medium size bonsais you'll need two hands to carry it.
Large: To carry a large bonsai you'll need atleast four hands.

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