History of Bonsai

Bonsai, pronounced “Bone sigh”, is a Japanese art form that means, in literal translation, “pot tree”.  The word comes from the Chinese phrase P’en Tsai which sounds nearly the same and means artistic potted plant   Bonsai in Japan is more than a hobby and is considered to be a living art form. 

The history of potted trees has been documented as far back as ancient Eqypt dating to 3000 B.C.   The Chinese have dwarfed potted trees since 2000 B.C. and by 200 A.D., styles such as earthworm and dancing dragon were used.  The styling of plants in pots was probably brought to Japan by Buddhist monks around 1300 A.D. as documented by a surviving scroll from 1310 A.D.  Japan modified the art form by minimizing the components of the composition.  The Chinese P’en Tsai or Penjing are know for figurines and elaborate rock and plant landscapes while the Japanese bonsai limit the art to a tree or groups of trees. 

During the many civil wars in Japan from 1300-1600 A.D., dwarf potted trees were found only in temples and in palaces of the Japanese aristocracy.  After 1600, dwarfed potted trees began to be refined with formal rules. A number of trees still survive from this era having been trained by many generations of Japanese.  The term “Bonsai” was in common usage by 1800 A.D. although most of the rules in use today were not developed until the mid 1800s. 

Bonsai in the United States began with the U.S. Ambassador to Japan bringing home a number of plants donated by Japan in 1913.  Some of these plants are on display at the Harvard University Arnold Arboretum.  Popular interest in the U.S. did not begin until G.I.s were exposed to Bonsai while occupying Japan after WWII. American born, John Naka, the father of American Bonsai, studied Bonsai in Japan and began teaching the art form in the 1950’s.  There are now thousands of Bonsai clubs and study groups throughout the U.S, Canada, and most of the civilized world.  Florida’s prime contribution to Bonsai is the buttonwood tree, with the best specimens styled by hurricanes and collected by bonsaiists.