Bonsai

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Sargents juniper, this 250-year-old tree in Japanese Tokoname ware, have finely textured dark foliage, very dense wood, and are easily cultivated. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Wisteria bonsai, this 10-year-old in Chinese Yixing-ware, have been appreciated for centuries in both Japan and China for their long, fragrant and delicate appearing blossoms in spring. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. This 150-year-old Japanese five-needle pine in an antique Chinese container has been trained in the informal upright style. Asymmetrically positioned branches with short needles are prized with bonsai. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Chinese hackberry, this 65-year-old in Japanese Tokonmae ware, is a medium-sized tree that has smooth, light gray bark. The fine twigs make this tree an excellent specimen for training into broom-style bonsai. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. The golden full moon maple, this one 25 years old in an American container, is usually grown for its bright yellow spring foliage which turns lime green in early summer. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. The nanking cherry, this one 50 years old in an antique Chinese container, is not a commonly trained species for bonsai. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Green Island fig does well under low light and humidity conditions. This 40-year-old cultivar in a Japanese container has small, thick dark green leaves that when pinched become very tiny. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Japanese five-needle pine bonsai are a favorite of bonsai lovers in Japan. This one is 60 years old and is in Japanese Tokoname ware. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Tensho satsuki azalea is an excellent bonsai, especially for smaller sizes since the multi-colored blossoms are rather small. This 35-year-old bonsai in Japanese Tokoname ware was started from a cutting and was trained in the ground for approximately 20 years to develop the thick trunk. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. The shape of this 500-year-old sargents juniper in an antique Chinese container has a sculptural form. Not all bonsai present images of large mature trees growing naturally. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Japanese maples can be enjoyed all year round. The lower trunk of this 70-year old specimen in a Chinese container seems to melt into the radiating surface root system. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. The many tamarisk species include both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. This deciduous species, the small-flower tamarisk, trained for bonsai is native to Europe and considered to be an invasive species in the western United States. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. Sargents junipers like this 40-year-old specimen in an American container  are trained into many different bonsai forms. Japanese bonsai artist Toshio Kawamoto established saikei, a type of tray landscapes, in the 1960s because he wanted to popularize and expand bonsai art. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. There are approximately 50 different cultivars of Japanese maples, like this 500-year-old cutleaf Japanese red maple in a Chinese container, with cut or dissected foliage. They have been selected for different leaf forms and coloring. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form.  Bald cypress, like this 60-year-old in Japanese Tokoname ware, is native to the southern areas of the United States. It is found naturally growing in water, often in swamps, and is also called swamp cypress. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. This is a special cultivar: a 90-year-old twisted trunk pomegranate in a Japanese container. When the blossoms mature the ovary begins to swell and form the uniquely shaped pomegranate fruit. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

BONSAIAn elegant album celebrates an ancient horticultural art form. The Formosan juniper, native to Taiwan, is similar to the Sargents juniper of Japan. This 70-year-old masterpiece Formosan juniper bonsai in Japanese Tokoname ware is an excellent example of the classic slanting style. Photo: Photograph by Jonathan Singer

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