Many terms used in the art of bonsai are from the Japanese language or are scientific botanical terms. This page lists and defines some commonly used terms.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Adventitious Bud
A bud in an unusual place.
Apex
The topmost point of the tree.
Apical
The most vigorous area of growth on the tree, usually at points furthest from the tree itself.
Ara-kawacho
A tree with rough bark.
B
Backbudding
The process of pruning apical growth.
Bankan
A coiled trunk tree.
Bleed
Weeping sap.
Broad-Leaved
Trees with broad leaves, rather than needles or scaled leaves.
Budbreak
The green tip of a newly opening bud.
Budburst
The point at which a bud unfurls.
Bunjingi
Upright trunk with no branches except at the very top.
Buttressing
A trunk which widens at the base, giving the tree the appearance of age and power.
C
Callus
Tissue that forms over a wound on a branch or trunk as part of the healing process.
Cambium
A formative one-cell-thick layer of tissue between xylem and phloem in most vascular plants that is responsible for secondary growth.
Chokkan
A formal upright bonsai style, with a pyramid of branches in all direction.
Common name
The commonly known name of a tree, as opposed to its Latin name.
Coniferous
Any tree or shrub bearing cones; with a few exceptions, they are evergreen.
Cultivar
Any variety of a cultivated species.
D
Deciduous
The shedding foliage at the end of the growing season.
Defoliation
Removing, or partly removing, leaves to produce new, smaller, leaves.
Dieback
Death of growth beginning at tip from disease or injury.
E
Eda
Japanese terms fo branches.
Eda-jin
Artificially bleached branches.
Eda-nuki
The process of removing unwanted branches.
Eda-urchi
The harmonizing effect of branch structure.
Eda-zashi
Pruning of branches.
Ericaceous
Acid-loving plants.
Evergreen
A plant having foliage that persists and remains green throughout the year.
F
Form
The main direction of the trunk.
Fukinagashi
A windswept bonsai style, where the trunk is at an angle and the branches are ‘swept’ back in one direction.
G
Genus
Taxonomic plant group containing one or more species, i.e. ACER Palmutum (see also ‘Species’, ‘Variety’).
Gobo-ne
The tap root of a tree.
Gobo-tsuchi
A coarse grained soil.
Grafting
The process of joining the tissue of two living plants.
H
Ha-gari
Pinching out leaves.
Ha-zashi
Leaf pruning.
Hamizu
Misting of leaves with water.
Han-Kengai
A semi-cascade style, where the branches grow in one direction, without really weeping.
Hankan
Tree with a very coiled trunk.
Hariganekake
Wiring a tree to force branches to grow in certain directions.
Hokidachi
A broom shaped bonsai style, with a straight trunk and domed crown.
Honbachi
Bonsai dish.
I
Ikada
A style where the trunk is buried horizontally, with branches growing out as if they are individual trees.
Indoor Bonsai
Trees suitable for keeping indoors, normally tropical, or subtropical species.
Ishitsuki
A tree which has roots growing around a rock.
J
Jin
Deadwood effect on the branches of a tree.
Ju-sei
Growth.
Ju-shin
Top of the tree.
K
Kabudachi
Multiple trunks growing from the same root.
Kanju
Deciduous hardwood trees.
Kannuki-eda
A branch which must be removed.
Kansui
Watering.
Karikomi
Pruning of leaves and branches.
Kengai
A classic style, where the trunk hangs down below the pot.
Kesho-tuschi
Decorative soil.
Keto-tsuchi
Peat.
Kokejun
A trunk which tapers toward the top.
Komochi
Tree with twin trunks.
Kuro-tsuchi
Black loam.
L
Layering
A technique of taking a cutting, where rooting takes place without the cutting being separated from it’s parent.
M
Mame
Small bonsai tree, less than 10cm tall.
Meiboku
A very old bonsai tree.
Mi-momo
A tree which bears fruit.
Misho
Developing bonsai trees from seed.
Mizu-gire
Too dry.
Mizu-goke
Sphagnum moss.
Moyogi
Informal, upright bonsai style.
N
Ne-zashi
Pruning roots.
Neagari
Exposed roots.
Nebari
The lower trunk and exposed roots of the bonsai.
Nejikan
Tree with a twisted trunk.
Node
Point on a branch or trunk from which leaves, leaf buds and shoots arise.
O
Outdoor Bonsai
Trees suitable for keeping outdoors.
Oyaki
Parent tree with reference to air-layering grafting technique.
P
Phloem
Area above the cambium in the trunk, the tissue that conducts synthesized food substances to parts where needed.
Potensia
Potential bonsai tree.
R
Ramification
The repeated division of branches.
S
Sabamiki
Split trunk.
Saikei
Landscapes with rocks and trees.
Sankan
Tree with a triple trunk.
Sashi-ki
Propagation by means of cuttings.
Seishi
Training of bonsai trees.
Sentei
Tree planting.
Shakan
Variation of the formal upright style, but where the trunk is slanting.
Shari
Deadwood effect on the trunk of a tree.
Sharimiki
Bare sun bleached driftwood style, where the grain of the wood is visible.
Shohaku
Softwood coniferous trees.
Shohin-bonsai
Small bonsai tree, less than 15cm tall.
Shoki
Bonsai tree from collected specimens in the wild.
Sokan
Tree with a twin trunk.
Species
The subdivision of ‘Genus’, i.e. Acer PALMUTUM (see also ‘Genus’, ‘Variety’).
Style
The way a tree has been shaped to create an image of a fully grown counterpart.
T
Tangei
Bonsai material.
Tekishin
Removal of shoots.
Tocho-shi
Branch that has grown too long.
Tokonoma
Traditional display area for bonsai trees inside Japanese houses.
Toriki
The technique of air-layering a bonsai tree.
Toriki-momo
A tree created by air-layering technique.
Tree
Bonsai keepers commonly refer to ‘trees’, rather than bonsai.
Tsugi-ki
The technique of grafting a bonsai tree.
V
Variety
The sub-division of ‘species’, i.e. Acer Palmatum KATSURA (see also ‘Genus’, ‘Species’).
X
Xylem
Area below cambium in the trunk, the woody part of plants.
Y
Yamadori
Refers to trees collected from nature for use as bonsai.
Yose-ue
Group planting of several trees in flat dish to give appearance of a forest.