Accent plant: A small plant displayed next to bonsai, usually when bonsai is being formerly displayed.

Adventitious Bud: A bud that occurs in an unusual place on a tree.

Air Layering: A method of propagating that encourages roots to form on a tree or branch.

Akadama: A traditional Japanese volcanic bonsai soil meaning red clay balls.

Adult foliage: The mature leaves of a tree with a distinctly different type of young foliage.

Apex: The highest point of the tree. On a bonsai, this can be a single branch or a series of small branches. It can also be foliage or Jin.

Apical: Most vigorous growth produced by a tree generally at the furthest points of the tree from the root system such as the upper and outermost branches.

Backbudding: A process of encouraging new growth on a branch where growth is currently not-existent. Back budding occurs when new buds appear on “old wood”.

Bleeding: The loss of sap caused wounding or pruning.

Bonsai: Japanese term for the art of cultivating and training a plant to create the illusion of a dwarfed tree.

Branches: The primary branches are those that grow directly from the truck, the secondary branches are those that grow directly from the primary branches, the tertiary branches grow from the secondary branches.

Branch bender: A clamp or jack used to bend branches or truck into different positions.

Branch Splitter: Also known as a trunk splitter, this cutting tool is specially designed to split trunks with minimal residual damage.

Broadleaved: Trees, mainly deciduous, with broad, flat leaves, non-conifer trees.

Broom Style: With an even, domed head of twiggy branches.

Botanical Name: The Latin name given to each and every plant the world over.

Bud: Organ or shoot that contains an embryonic branch, leaf or flower.

Bud Break: The point at which the bud has opened enough to show a green tip.

Bud Burst: The point at which the bud’s contents unfurl and a new leaf appears.

Bud Extension: Prior to bud break, where the tiny buds have been on the branch since the previous year, begin to swell and extend.

Bunjin: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called Literati. This is a tree that has a tall, slender trunk with foliage growing only near the top, illustrating maturity and the casting off of material things.

Buttressing: Also known as root flare, it’s the area of a tree trunk where the roots meet the soil surface, usually styled to convey strength.

Callus: Woody ‘scar’ tissue that forms over a wound where a branch or trunk has been pruned, as part of the healing process.

Chlorosis: Loss of chlorophyll and leaf colour as a result of mineral deficiency.

Chop: Commonly used work that describes the heavy pruning and reduction in height of the trunk of a tree.

Cambium: The layer of living tissue (typically green) between the sapwood and the bark of a living tree.

Candle: The name given the extending bud of a pine tree before the new needles open.

Canopy: The upper-most branches that form the top of a tree.

Chokkan: A traditional Japanese style also called formal upright. This is a tree that has a very straight trunk with symmetrical branching illustrating strength and order.

Clump Style: With several trunks growing up from the same root.

Collected Tree: Finding and taking a tree from its natural habitat; a tree that has been shaped by the forces of nature alone.

Common Name: Simply the name a plant is commonly known by.

Compound Leaf: A leaf comprising two or more separate but similar parts, called leaflets.

Concave Cutters: A bonsai tool used to remove branches with a flush or slightly depression cut.

Conifer: A tree, often evergreen, that bears cones containing seeds.

Cross: A hybrid resulting from cross-fertilization between species or varieties.

Crown: The upper part of the tree where the branches spread out from the trunk.

Cultivar: A cultivated variety of a species i.e. Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ or Acer palmatum ‘Deshojo’ are both Acer palmatum cultivars or varieties.

Cut Leaved: A bonsai that has leaves which are shaped in very distinct segments.

Cut Paste: Wound sealant specially made to promote the healing and keep sap from bleeding.

Dead Wood: A special technique used to create deadwood on a bonsai which enhances the character of and, ages the appearance of a tree.

Deciduous: A tree that has a seasonal growth cycle where new foliage is produced in the spring then grows throughout the summer, turns in autumn, and drops in the winter, leaving buds on the branches for next spring’s new foliage. Deciduous trees enter a state of dormancy annually.

Defoliation: Leaf pruning, whereby some or all of the leaves are removed to encourage new shoots and smaller leaves which can greatly increase ramification.

Desiccation: State of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. Desiccated leaves usually occur when the roots are unable to supply water to them.

Diatomatious Earth: A fine gravel substance form volcanic rock.

Dieback: Death of shoots or branch tips caused by drought, insects, disease, lack of light or extreme weather conditions.

Dissected: Deeply cut into segments or lobes.

Dormancy: Is the resting period for bonsai, where little or no growth is produced; usually autumn and winter months.

Dwarf: A variety or cultivar that is smaller than the species three, but retains all of the characteristics of a full size species tree. Dwarfs are usually compact and slow growing.

Ericaceous: A term referring to acid-loving, lime-hating plants.

Evergreen: A plant that remains in leaf/needles all year round.

Feeder Root: Fine roots that absorb water and nutrients from the soil.

Fertilizer: This is ‘food’ for your trees, shrubs and plants usually comprised of NPK: Phosphorous for the roots, Nitrogen for the foliage and Potassium for the flowers.

Foliage pad: A mass of foliage on a branch sometimes referred to as a cloud.

Forest Bonsai: Created from several small plants of the save variety to simulate a forest in nature.

Formal Upright style: With straight, vertical trunk.

Fruit: The seed-bearing part of a plant which may be a fleshy berry, nut or pod-like seed case.

Fukinagashi: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called windswept. This is a tree that has its trunk and branches swept back in one direction illustrating a tree exposed to very forceful winds.

Fungicide: A chemical compound used to prevent the growth and spread of fungus, which can cause serious damage to a bonsai.

Genus: A group of plants that belong to the same family of varying species and share the first part of a plant’s Latin name i.e. Acer Palmatum.

Germination: The moment a seed starts into growth, developing roots and shoots.

Girth: The circumference of a bonsai tree measured at is widest point o at just above the root base.

Grafting: A technique used to attach a branch to the stump of a tree or roots to a tree. The stem of one plant is fused with another so they grow together with the benefit of adding foliage where none previously existed on a bonsai.

Group planting style: With three or more trees planted to look like woodland.

Habit: The characteristic growth pattern of a plant.

Hair Roots: Fine roots that absorb water and nutrients from soil.

Han-Kengai: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called semi-cascade. Where the branches and trunk of a tree are sept down to one side, but not below the top lip of the container; illustrating a tree subject to violent winds and weather.

Hard Pruning: Involves cutting all stems to only a few inches above the ground. This is done to renovate an overgrown shrub. Not all shrubs respond well to this treatment, it should be used only on vigorous growing shrubs.

Hardy: Describes plants that are able to withstand winter frost.

Hermaphrodite: A self-fertilizing plant with both male and female reproductive organs.

Hokidachi: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called broom. Where the trunk is straight with symmetrical branches and has its foliage arranged in a semi-circular dome or broom shape.

Humidity: The amount or degree of moisture in the air.

Ikadabuki: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called raft. Where the tree is laid on its side and its branches are trained vertically and arranged in a group formation.

Insecticide: A chemical (synthetic or organic) used to kill or repel insects. There are numerous botanical and mineral powders that are toxic to insects, as well as biodegradable chemical such as insecticidal soaps.

Internodes: On a stem, there are nodes where the leaves, buds, and other stems originate. Between the nodes is a length of stem called the internodes.

Ishitsuki: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called root over rock. Where the tree has its roots arranged so they have grown over and in the crevices of a rock.

Jin: A branch which has been stripped of its bark and cambium to represent a dead branch; illustrating great age or harsh conditions.

Juvenile foliage: The young leaves of a tree that produces two distinct shapes of leaves; the second type being mature foliage.

Kabudachi: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called clump. Where the trees’ trunks all grow from the same point on the root mass and are more crowded in appearance than a regular group planting.

Kengai: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called cascade. Where the branches and trunk of the tree are swept to one side and hang below the container; illustrating a tree on the edge of a mountain cliff subject to fierce winds.

Lava: A bonsai soil amendment formed from crushed volcanic ash.

Layering: A method of propagation in which a stem is induced to send out roots by surrounding it with soil.

Leader: The main shoot, at the tip of a branch that extends toe branch growth; in bonsai usually the uppermost continuation of the trunk.

Lifting: Removing a plant from the ground with its rootball (roots and surrounding soil) intact.

Lime sulphur: A chemical used to whiten or bleach a section of stripped branch or trunk in order to preserve a jin or shari.

Literati style: A bonsai form where the tree has a tall, slender trunk with no lower branches and only sparse foliage confined to the upper reaches of the tree; with a gracefully twisting or curving trunk.

Loam: A soil mixture comprised of clay, sand and organic matter.

Mame: Refers to the size of a bonsai. Mame bonsai should ideally be no more than 10 cm in height and can be held in the palm of a hand.

Mesophyll: The spongy inner tissue of a leaf, functionally similar to the cortex of stems and roots, where the raw materials – carbon dioxide and water vapor are held during the process of photosynthesis.

Moyogi: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called informal upright. Where the trunk curves through its taper up to the apex.

Mycorrhiza: Is a white beneficial fungus that is often found in the soil around pine trees. It usually appears to be small mats of white filaments each about ¼ inches long, helping them absorb nutrients.

N.P.K.: Acronym for the three major bonsai nutrients and used to describe the amounts of each readily available. ‘N’ is for nitrogen, ‘P’ is for phosphorous and ‘K’ is for potassium.

Nebari: The Japanese term for the exposed surface roots. It’s the spread of roots from which the lower trunk originates out of the bonsai soil.

Needle: A very narrow leaf, often evergreen and usually of a stiff texture, like those found on a pine tree.

Nitrogen: An essential element of bonsai nutrition and identified by the chemical symbol N; Nitrogen help to develop foliage and stem growth.

Node: The area of a bonsai (trunk or branch) where leaf buds emerge.

Old wood: A twig, branch, or stem of previous growing season, or earlier.

Overwatering: Where a tree growing in poor-draining soil is given water too frequently (the soil does not begin to dry out before more water is applied). This decreases even furthers the amount of air available to the roots caused by the poorly drained soil. Eventually leads to dead roots and root rot.

Peat: Partly decomposed organic matter, found in bogs or heaths; it helps retain water in potting soil.

Petiole: In a simple leaf, the petiole is the structure that attaches the leaf blade to the stem.

Phloem: A layer of tree tissue just inside the bark that conducts food from the leaves to the stem and roots.

Phoenix graft: Technique where a sapling is attached to deadwood.

Phosphorus: An essential element of bonsai nutrition and identified by the chemical symbol P. It encourages root development and also ripening of fruit and seeds.

Photosynthesis: The process by which plants convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, using sunlight as the source of energy and the aid of chlorophyll.

Ph: Measure of soil acidity. The pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a material when dissolved in water. It is expressed on a scale from 0 to 14. Roughly, pH can be divided into the following ranges:

pH 0-2 Strongly acidic, pH 3-5 Weakly acidic, pH 6-8 Neutral, pH 9-11 Weakly basic and pH 12-14 Strongly basic.

Pinching: A technique used to control and shape soft new growth of foliage, by carefully pinching or pulling off small shoots with the finger and thumb in a pinching motion.

Pot: A growing container for bonsai, usually high-fired clay. The pot you choose should complement your tree.

Potassium: The third essential element of plant nutrition and identified by the chemical symbol K. It encourages strong new growth, development of flower buds and fruit nutrition.

Pot-bound: Refers to the state of a container grown plant where the root growth has filled the container to the extent of eliminating all vital air spaces.

Pre-Bonsai: A young tree that has not yet been trained.

Pruning: The process of controlling the shape and growth rate of a bonsai by cutting back the shoots, stems and branches.

Pumice: It’s a light-coloured volcanic rock containing abundant trapped gas bubbles formed by the explosive eruption of magma. It is often used as a bonsai soil amendment.

Raceme: A type of elongated flower made up of many individual stalks growing from a central stem; ex. Flower type found on wisteria trees.

Raffia: Is used to wrap branches and trunk before bending. It will help reduce the likelihood of splitting branches.

Ramification: The repeated division of branches into secondary branches.

Repotting: The practice of taking a pot-grown bonsai out of it container to refresh the soil and encourage renewed root growth. It is also a great time to select a new or larger pot. This is done to maintain health of the tree such as: root washing, inspecting, pruning and soil refreshing all vital to the health of bonsai.

Rock planting: Trees grown in or on rocks to create a dramatic visual appearance.

Rootball: The large mass of roots and soil visible when a plant is removed from its pot or the ground.

Root flare: Also known as Nebari, the mound of exposed surface roots at the base of a trunk.

Root over rock style: A technique where the tree is planted over a rock with the roots extending downwards to reach the soil.

Root pruning: The practice of cutting back the roots when repotting from one pot to another will encourage new root growth and promote future growth.

Rooting hormone: A powder or liquid growth hormone is used to promote the development of roots on a cutting. It’s formulated for the propagation of cuttings and stimulates the development of adventitious roots.

Scorch: Foliage damage from strong sun or wind, or root damage from fertilizer overdose.

Seasonal Bonsai: A species that look their best for only a short time when in flower or fruit.

Semi-cascade style: With a trunk growing downward at a fairly steep angle so that it ends just at or below the pot rim.

Shakan: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called slanting. Where the trees trunk, appears similar to the formal upright style, but the trunk is slanting to one side.

Shari: Japanese term for exposed deadwood on the trunk of a bonsai (as opposed to Jin which is a deadwood branch or protrusion). It’s the area where the bark and cambium have been removed from the trunk to suggest struggles against natural weather conditions such as wind, lightning, snow and ice.

Shonin: Bonsai that are less than 10 inches tall.

Sinuous style: With branches growing from surface roots or other rooted branches in a randomly curving pattern.

Slanting style: With a straight trunk that leans up to 45 degrees from the vertical.

Soil sieve: Used to grade soils for layering and to remove fine or large particles that inhibits proper drainage.

Species: The sub-division of a Genus; the second name in the Latin terminology (Acer palmatum).

Sphagnum Moss: Highly water absorbent moss native to damp locations, used in the air layering or to keep large wounds moist.

Stratify: Natural process whereby seeds are exposed to low temperatures in order to get seeds to germinate.

Style: The way in which a bonsai tree has been shaped in order to compliment the form of the trunk.

Subian: A Japanese ceramic tray without drainage holes to display viewing stones or for rock plantings.

Substrate: The material on which a plant grows.

Succulent: Plants with fleshy stem or leaves that can retain large amounts of moisture.

Sucker: A shoot that grows out from a plant’s base, above or below the ground.

Suiseki: Stones that appear to look like large boulder or mountains and represent the spirit or essence of each, sometimes used in a formal bonsai display.

Systemic: Describing an insecticide or fungicide that enter a plant’s sap and, over time, counterattacks from within the pest or disease afflicting the plant.

Taproot: 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.

Terminal: Outermost tip.

Terminal Bud: A bud formed at the tip of a stem, twig or branchlet.

Tokaname: A region in Japan that is a major centre for the manufacture of bonsai containers.

Transpiration: The natural process of water loss from the surfaces of leaves and plant stems.

Trunk Leader: Uppermost branch on a previously cut off trunk that is trained to grow vertically as an extension of that trunk.

Tufa Rock: A very porous, water-retentive limestone easily worked and so used for bonsai plantings.

Under Watering: When a tree is allowed to dry out completely or, is not watered thoroughly when required.

Variegated leaf: A green leaf design which is blotched, edged or spotted with yellow, white or cream colour.

Variety: The naturally occurring variant of a species.

Viability: A seed’s ability to germinate.

Wiring: A technique using wire to bend a branch or trunk in a certain directions thus training it to grow in that way.

Wound sealant: A compound that seals a cut in a branch or trunk to stop sap and moisture loss, and promote healing.

Xylem: Area below the cambium layer in a trunk.

Yamadori: Japanese term for a tree collected from the wild, which have been shaped by nature alone and have been collected to be developed into bonsai.

Yose-ue: A traditional Japanese bonsai style also called a group or forest. Where the trees are arranged in a container to resemble a group or forest of trees.

Zen: From the Japanese word meaning “meditation”. It is the form of Buddhism which developed in Japan.

Bonkei: Tray landscape containing rocks and small accent plants as well as trees.

Bunjin: Literati style.

Fukinagashi: Windswept style.

Han Kengai: Semi-cascade style.

Hokkan: Formal upright style.

Hokidachi: Broom style.

Ishi Seki: Planted on rock style.

Kabudachi: Multiple trunk style.

Kengai: Cascade style.

Moyogi: Informal upright style.

Negari: Exposed root style.

Nettsunagari: Root connected style.

Pen-Jing: Landscape planting style.

Sabamiki: Split trunk style.

Sai-Kei: Landscape planting style.

Sankan: Triple trunk style.

Sekjoju: Root over rock style.

Shakan: Slanting style.

Sharimiki: Driftwood style.

Shidare-Zukuri: Weeping style.

Sokan: Twin trunk style.

Tanuki: Where sapling is attached to deadwood also known as a ‘Phoenix Graft’

Yose Ue: Group planting style.

Mame: Bonsai less than 7 cm in height.

Shohin: Bonsai up to 20 cm in height.

Kifu: Bonsai between 20 and 40 cm in height.

Chu: Bonsai between 40 and 60 cm in height.

Dai: Bonsai over 60 cm in height.