Abies lasiocarpa ‘Arizonica’ Cork fir.
Accent plant A separate, often seasonal. planting of grasses. bulbs, or small herbaceous plants displayed with a formal bonsai.
Acer buergerianum ‘Formosanum’ Formosan trident maple.
Acer japonicum Full moon maple.
Acer palamatum ‘Ukigomo’ Japanese maple ‘Ukigomo’.
Acer palmatum ‘Chishio’ Japanese red maple.
Acer palmatum ‘Deshojo’ Japanese red maple.
Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’ Cut leaf Japanese maple.
Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ Cut leaf Japanese purple maple.
Acer palmatum ‘Kagiri Nishiki’ Japanese maple ‘Kagiri Nishikí’.
Acer palmatum ‘Kashima’ Japanese maple ‘Kashima’.
Acer palmatum ‘Kiyohime’ Japanese maple ‘Kiyohime’.
Acer palmatum ‘Kotohime’ Japanese maple ‘Kotohime’.
Acer palmatum ‘Nishiki gawa’ Japanese maple ‘Nishiki gawa’.
Acer palmatum ‘Seigen’ Japanese red maple.
Air layering Propagation method that encourages roots to form on a tree trunk or branch.
Akadama Japanese granulate clay, used as bonsai soil.
Aka-matsu Pinus densiflora, Japanese red pine.
Apex In bonsai, this usually means the top part of the tree.
Ara-ki Freshly dug tree, suitable as bonsai material.
Bankan Trunk with many curves.
Betula pendula European silver birch.
Boke Chaenomeles cardinalis, Flowering quince.
Bonsai Tree in a shallow pot.
Bougainvillea buttiana Bougainvillea ‘Orange King’.
Bunjin or Bunjingi; Bonsai in literati style.
Buxus microphylla Japanese box tree.
Buxus sempervirens Common box tree.
Callus Corky-textured tissue that forms over a wound on a branch.
Cambium Narrow layer of cell tissue between the bark and wood of woody plants. The cambium of live wood is green and moist.
Caragana arborescens Chinese pea tree.
Carmona microphylla Fukien tea; subtropical species.
Carpinus laxiflora Loose flowered hornbeam.
Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ Blue cedar.
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ Dwarf hinoki cypress.
Chojubai Chaenomeles japonica, Japanese quince.
Chokkan Bonsai with upright trunk.
Conifer A tree that bears cones containing the seeds. Most conifers are evergreen.
Cornus officinalis Japanese cornelian cherry.
Corylopsis pauciflora Buttercup winter hazel.
Corylopsis spicata Spiked winter hazel.
Crown The upper part of the tree where the branches spread out from the trunk.
Cryptomeria japonica Japanese dwarf cedar.
Cultivar Variant plant produced in cultivation: indicated by single quotation marks in its botanical name.
Cut paste See ‘wound sealant’.
Dai Wooden table fitting a suiseki stone.
Deciduous Describing a tree or shrub that loses its leaves annually and often remains bare of leaves all winter.
Deshojo Acer palmatum deshojo, Japanese red maple.
Die back The death of young shoots. due to bad weather or fungal disease.
Euonymus alatus Winged spindle tree.
Euonymus europaeus European spindle tree.
Euonymus sieboldianus Japanese spindle tree.
Evergreen Describing a tree or shrub that retains its leaves all year round.
Fagus crenata Japanese white beech.
Fagus japonica Japanese black beech.
Ficus macrophylla Moreton Bay fig.
Fuji Wisteria floribunda, Japanese wisteria.
Fukinagashi Bonsai in windswept style.
Genus The unit of classification for a group of closely related plants: shown by the first word in the botanical name.
Goyo-matsu Pinus parviflora, Japanese white pine.
Habit The characteristic growth pattern of a plant.
Hamamelis japonica Japanese witch hazel.
Hankan Bonsai with a very coiled trunk.
Han-kengai Bonsai in semi-cascading style.
Hardy Describing plants that are able to withstand winter frost.
Hinoki Chamaecyparis obtusa, Hinoki cypress.
Hokidachi Bonsai in broom style.
Hyakujikko Lagerstroemia indica, Crab myrtle.
Ikadabuke Bonsai in raft style.
Ilex crenata Japenese evergreen holly.
Ilex serrata Japanese deciduous holly.
Internodal distance The length of stem between two nodes (leaf joints).
Jasminum officinale Common white jasmine.
Jin Or Eda-jin; artificially bleached branch.
Juniperus media ‘Blaauwii’ Chinese juniper.
Juniperus squamata ‘Meyeri’ Blue juniper.
Juvenile foliage Young leaves of a tree that has distinclly different adult foliage.
Kabudachi Clump-style bonsai; several trunks from a single root.
Kaede Acer buergerianum, Trident maple.
Karikomi Pruning of leaves and branches.
Karin Chaenomeles sinensis, Chinese quince.
Kengai Bonsai in cascading style.
Kiryu Japanese rocky granulates, used for drainage in bonsai soil.
Kobushi Magnolia stellata, Star magnolia.
Kokejun Trunk that tapers towards the top.
Kuro-matsu Pinus thunbergii, Japanese black pine.
Kuruma-eda Unsuitable branch that must be cut off.
Leader Generally, the main shoot, at the tip of a branch, that extends the branch growth: in bonsai, usually the uppermost continuation of the trunk.
Malus cerasifera Nagasaki crab apple.
Malus halliana Hall’s crab apple.
Malus sylvestris Common crab apple.
Mame bonsai Bonsai less then 10cm tall.
Mansaku Coriylus heterophylla, Japanese witch hazel.
Mayumi Euonymus sieboldianus, Japanese spindle tree.
Momiji Acer palmatum, Japanese maple.
Moyogi Bonsai in unformal upright style.
Neagari Bonsai with exposed roots.
Nebari Shape of the visible roots.
Nejikan Bonsai with twisted trunk.
Netsuranari Bonsai style with several trees growing from a single root.
Nitrogen Also known as (N); Essential element of plant nutrition: for growth above the ground, especially green tissue in leaves and stems.
NPK Abbreviation used to denote the relative proportions of the minerals nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contained in a fertilizer.
Obai Jasminum nudiflorum, Winter jasmine.
Peat Partly decomposed organic matter, found in bogs, marshes or heaths. It helps to retain moisture in potting soil.
Phosphorus Also known as (P); Essential element of plant nutrition: for root development and ripening of fruits and seeds.
Picea abies ‘Little gem’ Dwarf spruce.
Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’ Bird’s nest spruce.
Picea glehnii ‘Yatsubusa’ Dwarf sakhalin spruce.
Picea jezoensis Jezo or edo spruce.
Pinching Training or shaping a tree by gently pulling off soft new shoots with finger and thumb.
Pinus densiflora Japanese red pine.
Pinus parviflora Japanese white or five needle pine.
Pinus pentaphylla See ‘Pinus parviflora’.
Pinus thunbergii Japanese black pine.
Pinus thunbergii ‘Corticosa’ Corkbark japanese black pine.
Pot bound Describing a plant when its roots fill its pot and eliminate all air spaces.
Potassium Also known as (K) Essential element of plant nutrition: for strong new growth, flower buds. and fruit. In horticulture, it is commonly known as potash.
Pruning Cutting or pinching back shoots, leaves. and stems in order to control growth and to shape the plant.
Prunus avium Japanese wild cherry.
Pseudosidonia sinensis See ‘Chaenomeles sinensis’.
Repotting Regularly removing a plant from its pot. usually every year or so and replanting in fresh soil to encourage root growth.
Root pruning Cutting back roots of a pot-bound plant to add fresh soil and encourage growth of new-roots.
Rootball The mass of roots and soil seen when plant is lifted from container or ground.
Sabamiki Bonsai with split trunk.
Sahi-ki Propagating by means of cuttings.
Saikei Landscapes with rocks and trees.
Satsuki Rhododendron indicum, Satsuki azalea.
Scorch Foliage damage from strong sun or wind. or root damage from fertilizer overdose.
Seigen Acer palmatum ‘Seigen’, Japanese red maple.
Serissa foetida Tree of a tousand stars.
Shakan Bonsai with slanting trunk.
Shari Artificial dead wood parts on the trunk.
Shimotsuke Spiraea japonica, Japanese spiraea.
Shinpaku Juniperus sinensis, Chinese juniper.
Shohin-bonsai Bonsai no more than 15cm tall.
Sophora japonica Japanese pagoda tree.
Soro Carpinus japonica, Japanese hornbeam.
Species Unit of classification for a plant that has particular characteristics: identified by the second word of its botanical name.
Sphagnum moss Highly water-absorbent moss native to damp locations: used in air layering or to keep large wounds moist.
Stratification Encouraging tree seeds to germinate by dispersing them in sand and subjecting them to cold conditions before sowing.
Suiban Shallow dish without a drainage hole.
Tanuki Technique where a tree is planted against the trunk of another dead tree.
Tap root A long. Anchoring root that grows vertically downwards in the soil: often, the first undivided root of a seedling.
Tender Describing a plant that cannot withstand frost and may die if kept outdoors in the cold.
Tilia cordata Small leaved lime.
Tokoname A region in Japan that is a major centre for the manufacture and export of containers for bonsai.
Tokonoma A niche or alcove built into a wall of a japanese house to display floral arrangements or bonsai.
Toriki Technique of obtaining bonsai by airlayering.
Tosho Juniperus rigida, Needle juniper.
Tsubaki Camellia japonica, Common camellia.
Tsugi-ki Technique of obtaining bonsai by crafting.
Ume Prunus mume, Japanese flowering apricot.
Umemodoki Ilex serrata, Japanese deciduous holly.
Wound sealant A compound that seals a cut in a branch or a trunk: it prevents sap bleeding and loss of moisture, and thus promotes healing.
Yamadori Collecting bonsai from the wild.
Yama-sakura Prunus avium, Japanese wild cherry.
Yanagi Salix babylonica, Weeping willow.
Yatsubusa A particular type of dwarf form. with shorter intenodal distances and more buds than usual, and thus denser top-growth.
Yose-Ue Forest planting or multiple tree style.