Outstanding deciduous bonsai at the PBE

The deciduous bonsai on display at this year’s expo included some fantastic trees. When considered together, they offer a great opportunity for discovering what you like best about this group of trees.

As you look at the photos below, think about the following questions.

• Do you prefer deciduous trees with dense or sparse branches?

• Do you prefer deciduous trees with clean silhouettes or relaxed silhouettes?

• Do you prefer deciduous trees with with straight lines or curved lines?

• Do you prefer deciduous trees with deadwood or aged bark (or does this depend on the species)?

You can also think about what you look for in the trunks of deciduous trees or what kinds of branch structures suit deciduous trunks best.

• Do you prefer deciduous trees with straight trunks or trunks that have movement?

• Do you prefer deciduous trees with branches that rise as they emerge from the trunk, descend as they emerge from the trunk, or grow horizontally?

On a deeper level, you might think about how deciduous bonsai convey great age and which characteristics contribute most to your sense about how old a tree looks.

Of course, you’re also free to simply think about which you like best and save the why for another day.

Japanese maple

Corylopsis

Korean hornbeam

When you see deciduous trees on display that still have leaves, you may be curious what these trees look like without leaves. That’s definitely true for me. Here are two trees on display at the Expo with leaves followed by photos of the same trees without leaves.

Cork bark elm

As displayed at the Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai Winter Silhouette Show

Korean hornbeam

As displayed at the Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai Winter Silhouette Show

Does it help to see the branches? If you were judging the tree, would you score it differently with or without leaves (and if so, why would the same tree score differently in a different season)?

Koto Hime Japanese maple

Pomegranate

Korean hornbeam

Shishigashira Japanese maple

Post-Expo Updates

• You can pre-order a commemorative album with photos of the trees in the exhibit at the Expo website.

• Did you attend the Expo? If so, consider completing a brief survey about your experience to help us learn what we can do better next time.

• Looking for photos of the award-winning displays? You can find them on the Expo website.