Cascade-Style Bonsai Claude Sciberras

Why Do we Use Styles? There are several reasons for identifying a bonsai by a named style:  Naming a style provides a graphic description of the tree.  When one person is talking to another about a bonsai and identifies its style, a mental-visual image of that style is evoked in the mind of the listener.  A style provides a direction of purpose when structuring a bonsai.  It is a shortcut to understanding.

Bonsai Styles  Upright Styles  Cascade Styles  Multiple Tree/Trunk Styles  Bonsai With Special Characteristics

Cascade Styles  Cascade  Semi-Cascade

 Miniature Bonsai  Literati  Driftwood  Weeping  Exposed Roots  Root on Rock / Root in Rock Bonsai With Special Characteristics

In cascade styles, the cascading part is called the NAGARE which means “The flow or flowing”.

Cascade Styles  A cascade style bonsai is one in which a major feature extends below the lower rim of the pot.  A semi-cascade style bonsai is one in which the major cascading feature extends below the top rim of the pot but does not extend below the bottom of the pot.  What determines whether a cascade or semi-cascade is Formal or Informal is the part above the rim of the pot.  It depicts a tree in nature growing on a mountain top with all or a part of it hanging over the edge.

Cascade - Kengai

Semi Cascade - Han-Kengai

Container  The container should be relatively deep and may be round, square, octagonal, hexagonal, or a deep cascade.  The container may be glazed or unglazed depending on the species of tree.

Styling The Tree  Roots:Remove surface soil down to relatively thick radiating roots.  Surface roots should radiate in several directions but should be strongest on the side away from the direction of the lean.

Formal Semi- Cascade Tree

Informal Semi-Cascade

Formal Cascade Tree

As always in Bonsai, Balance is of the essence

Special Characteristics  Miniature, Literati, Driftwood, Weeping, Exposed Roots, Root on Rock and Root in Rock are not styles but characteristics as you can have a mame cascade or a Semi cascade with root on rock etc…

Miniature

Literati

Driftwood

Weeping

Exposed Roots

Root on Rock

Root in Rock