Bonsai Tree Types

Bonsai Tree Information

Bonsai Tree Types - so many to choose from

A bonsai tree is a wonderful addition to any home or office space. With its aesthetic qualities and soothing effects, the greenery of well-cultivated bonsai plants easily liven up a boring and bland room. Its size is also perfect for any living space allowing it to blend in regardless of the theme you are trying to maintain or project.

There are many bonsai tree types that one can choose from. Many of these common types and styles have been existence since the birth of bonsai as an art and include formal upright, informal upright, slanting, semi-cascade, cascade, raft, literati, and the group or forest variety. Each type displays unique qualities and design features that set it apart from other bonsai tree types. Explore each of the bonsai tree types so you can pick the best one for your home.

The formal upright type is characterized by a straight and erect trunk with a tapering width from large at the base to narrow at the top. The branch formation is also tapered with the thickest and broadest branch at the bottom and the finest at the top. The formal upright bonsai is representative of the standard tree image and typical examples are common sturdy trees like bald cypresses and oaks.

The informal upright bonsai tree type, on the other hand, incorporates prominent curved trunks accentuated by still sweeping branches that have the thickest at the bottom and the thinnest at the top. An important consideration in classifying informal uprights is that the apex of the tree has to be inline with the tree’s trunk as it penetrates the soil.

Slanted bonsai tree types possess a trunk that comes out of the soil at an angle while cascade bonsai tree types bow altogether much like trees growing along bodies of water or along cliff edges with the apex of the trees at or below the pot line. Conifer trees are basic examples of cascading bonsai types because they have an inherent artistic quality that makes them stable despite the weird and complex formations that they grow into. If you’re looking for a bonsai tree that seems to flow, slanted and cascade bonsai tree types at the right bonsai for you.

A literati bonsai consists of an almost bare tree trunk with minimal branches normally placed at the top. It is the ultimate in minimalist bonsai tree types which only have the absolute bare necessities in tree growth; contrast this to the group or forest style were you have multiple trees clustered in a very small area to replicate the effect of a forest.

The choice of bonsai trees to purchase for decorations is entirely dependent on the buyer. Each bonsai tree is unique and has an individual personality that will determine whether it resonates with a buyer or an intended theme in the space where the bonsai is supposed to go. For example, earthy cozy rooms can benefit from the addition of formal upright bonsai tree types which adds a bold but graceful element into the room design. Flowing and water-based room designs with light pastel colors and feminine designs, on the other hand, can use a semi or full cascade bonsai as a room centerpiece due to its soft and elegant nature. Minimalist room designs such as typical Japanese living rooms work best with literati bonsai tree types while a room that is “active” with many mementos, pictures, memorabilia and collectibles will often work best with a group or forest bonsai type.

Ultimately, it falls down to the buyer to choose the perfect bonsai. There are no hard and fast rules to bonsai decorations as long as they owner finds a connection with the bonsai. In the end, it’s what you feel about the bonsai when you see it that matters. If you fell peace, relaxation, and calmness just by watching a bonsai plant by your living room coffee table, the bonsai would have done more than what it was intended to do.