by George Buehler

We often hear people say, when looking at a bonsai, 'that is a great bonsai', or 'gee, that's not such a good one'. But what is it that they see? Can it be that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'? Perhaps, but we wouldn't say that a one year old whip is a good bonsai or even that it is "a bonsai". I would venture to guess that when one of the specimen bonsai at the National Arboretum is viewed, most of us would recognize that it is a great bonsai, even if we didn't know why.

When we look at a specimen bonsai, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Generally, it is that the tree looks old, it has great proportions and is in excellent health. But when we examine the tree more carefully, it may not be that old - perhaps 20 or 30 years old or even younger. It just appears to be much older. So let's look at what causes a tree to look old.

Old trees have large trunks which are larger at the bottom than at the top. We call this taper. The taper from the top to the bottom is very gradual. Normally, the more gentle the decrease in taper from bottom to top, the older a tree normally looks. Go to one of the parks and look at the older trees - you will see what I mean. As bonsai artists, there isn't much we can do to a tree to increase the actual trunk diameter, except to keep the plant healthy, give it plenty of water and nourishment, and wait for it to grow.

We can do several styling tricks to make the trunk appear larger than it is, but only minimally. If a tree that was 18" tall is cut back to 9", the trunk will look larger than it did. This technique is mostly used on deciduous trees that readily sprout new buds on the trunk to grow new branches.

Old trees, especially maples, have very large surface roots that radiate out from the trunk of the tree. These surface roots are Mother Nature's way of stabilizing the tree in the ground against the blowing of winds and other environmental factors. Without these strong massive roots (and the other underground root system we don't see), the tree could blow over in a strong storm. Again, in the parks, a tree that is say 20 years old may have good taper, but no massive surface roots. It just doesn't look as old as the tree that does have massive roots.

When we replant our bonsai, we spread out the surface roots (called nebari) allowing them to grow along the surface. With time, this gives us the appearance of age in our bonsai.

Now look up at the old park tree. Notice that a number of the limbs are bent down, where as the younger trees have limbs that are reaching for the sun. The older trees branches are bent down from the weight of the foliage and from the strain of supporting snow and ice in the winter time. The bonsai artist will use wire to force the branches to grow in this downward direction, and he will begin this process when the tree is young.

However, in nature, trees have a normal tendency to grow toward the sun. When the trunk or branch is hindered in this growth toward the sun (due either to other trees, buildings, or terrain), it will change directions until it can again grow toward the sun. This creates a sinuous movement in the trunk and branches.

In bonsai, branches and trunks with straight line movement do not give us a very interesting tree. However, when we put the bends and twists in trunks and branches with wiring, the tree starts to exhibit the appearance of old age. When we look at specimen bonsai, our eyes follow these twists and bends, and we perceive an old tree that has been exposed to a harsh environment.

Good bonsai follow certain rules:

• It should have a triangular shape
• The first branch should be about 1/3 of the way up the trunk
• The apex (top) of the tree should bend slightly toward the viewer (except in the formal upright style)
• Branches are on the outside bends of trunks
• The tree has the proper placement in a pot

Using some of the above techniques, a bonsai artist can take a relatively young tree and convert it into a tree that looks much older. With practice and knowledge, the novice artist can develop these skills.