While growing up, most children are taught by their parents and teachers that they should treat everyone equally.

We are often taught to treat everyone equally, even though everyone may look different, behave differently, or speak differently.

However, we often forget this rule when we turn our attention to the natural world. We are always fascinated by the myriad forms of nature, yet also greedy. While we sit under a tree with a broad canopy, tall trunk, and rough bark reading a book, we also wish for a plant that can be held in our hands, which is what we often call a bonsai.

For centuries, bonsai has attracted scholars, artists, and Westerners. Believe everyone has asked the same question: why do the plants in bonsai look like towering trees but remain so small?

Bonsai

Bonsai, one of the world's outstanding arts, represents natural landscapes using plants and rocks in pots.

There are two primary forms: trunk bonsai and landscape bonsai. The former mainly focuses on cultivating tree species, while the latter primarily showcases various materials. Therefore, bonsai is not limited to just trees; other forms of expression exist, such as rocks.

There are various choices for the trees in bonsai, which can be planted and shaped differently, as decided by the cultivator. Over a thousand years ago, Japanese artisans developed the art of bonsai into a form of expression for meditation and personal reflection.

Growing Bonsai Plants

When you restrict the growth space of plants, they adjust.

First, the chopped tree is placed in a pot with limited root growth space. The roots cannot fully extend; naturally, the stems do not grow very large, limiting the space for root growth. Secondly, this tree must be carefully tended over time, guiding its growth through meticulous pruning and shaping to achieve the desired form.

When this tree reaches its optimal size, it is carefully transplanted into a display pot and left there.

The bonsai tree has taken shape. Long-term care is vital to perfecting your artistic aesthetic.

Bonsai cultivation reflects the cultivator's meticulous care and discipline in nurturing plants. The quality of bonsai can also be judged directly from its appearance, requiring the cultivator to invest a significant amount of time and effort to demonstrate it.

How big can a bonsai tree grow?

Wild trees grow unrestricted, with ample soil, and roots can reach several meters long. However, the roots should not exceed 25cm for bonsai, so it is rare to see bonsai trees grow over 1m tall.

You may encounter many other small trees, but not all are bonsai. Each bonsai tree has its characteristics and requires careful care from people.

Bonsai trees have unique shapes that reflect different aesthetic designs; placing them in appropriate locations and integrating them with other interrelated landscapes can achieve artistic effects. These are all unique aspects of bonsai trees.

Although humans have interfered with bonsai growth, good bonsai will not leave traces of the artist's creation. The distribution of roots and branches in fine bonsai is generally asymmetrical, with appropriate proportions. From a distance, the trees in bonsai look the same as real trees, just smaller in size.

More importantly, some bonsai trees capture a sense of impermanence or imperfection, reflecting aesthetics and philosophical views on life.