Have you ever walked into a garden and noticed miniature versions of otherwise huge trees? These are called Bonsai trees which are considered prized possessions in many cultures. Unlike the misconception, Bonsais are not genetically modified trees. But in fact, ordinary trees are grown in dwarf size using a special technique. To satisfy your curious soul about these fascinating species of plants, we have listed the types of Bonsai trees with history and growing methods.

What is Bonsai?

The word “Bonsai” is a Japanese term for “planted in a container”. It is an artistic form of growing miniature versions of large trees using ancient Asian methodologies. Bonsai was originally invented by the Chinese and later developed by the Japanese using the principles of Zen Buddhism.

History of Bonsai:

To understand the history of Bonsai, we need to travel about 2000 years back in time to ancient China. During this time, the Chinese developed a fascination for creating miniature landscapes that were drastically smaller than the originals. It was called “Pun-Sai”, where pun means an earthern container. The idea was to study the magical properties of the five elements – water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. The more reduced the size was, the higher magical potency it had.

Later, during the Kamakura period, which was around 700 years ago, the Japanese tried to copy this art form but restricted it to just trees. They had limited landscapes, unlike the Chinese, which made them experiment with the Bonsai (Japanese version of Pun-sai) techniques on local species of trees. Further, they considered these dwarf living trees as “sacred” and were used as luxurious gifts.

In the coming years, Bonsai trees were introduced to the Spanish and then the rest of the world. Gradually, many styles and varieties of Bonsai were developed, some of which are very expensive and difficult to grow.