Juniperus chinensis

In Training Since 1953

Gift of John Yoshio Naka, 1984

This is one of the most recognized bonsai in the world. Bonsai master John Naka created his forest with 11 trees—one for each of his grandchildren—and named it Goshin, meaning "protector of the spirit."

Acer buergerianum

In training since 1975

Gift of Ted C. Guyger, 1990

Bonsai created from trees collected from the outdoors start out with a thicker, more mature trunk. Before it was pruned, this bonsai was a 23-foot tall tree.

Acer buergerianum

In training since 1985

Gift of Brussel Martin, 1990

Forest-style bonsai are often planted on a rock slab with the soil held in place by moss. This creates a natural-looking hillock setting.

Acer rubrum var. drummondii

In training since 1974

Gift of Vaughn L. Banting, 1990

Bougainvillea glabra

In training since 1985

Gift of Harold M. Harvey, 1990

Even though bougainvillea is a vine, it can be grown as a bonsai by continually pruning the long growth.

Cedrus atlantica Glauca Group

In training since 1960

Gift of Fred & Ernesta Ballard, 1990

This bonsai is trained in the cascade style, in which the tree is trained to imitate those growing from the side of a cliff. Instead of growing upward toward the sun, the trunk and branches are pulled downward by gravity.

Cedrus atlantica Glauca Group

In training since 1948

Gift of John Yoshio Naka, 1990

One reason John Naka named this bonsai Gimpo, "Silver Phoenix," was because like the mythical bird rising from ashes, even the ugliest tree can become a majestic bonsai in the hands of a master.

Conocarpus erectus

In training since 1975

Gift of Mary Madison, 1990

Buttonwood is a native American species from the swamps of Florida. Its naturally twisted trunks make it popular material for tropical bonsai.

Crataegus laevigata

In training since 1955

Gift of Bertram F. Bruenner, 1990

The artist created the unique twisting trunk on this bonsai by shaping it with wire when it was still a seedling and very pliant. Once the tree matured, the wire could be removed.

Ficus microcarpa

In training since 1971

Gift of Mike Uyeno, 1990

Ficus natalensis

In training since 1976

Gift of David W. Fukumoto, 1990

Ficus salicaria

In training since 1974

Gift of Helen C. Souder, 1990

Clump style bonsai are trees that have multiple trunks emanating from a single base. Ficus make good trees for bonsai beginners because they grow quickly.

Juniperus californica

In training since 1967

Gift of Kiichi Wayne Takayasu, 1990

This native juniper from the mountains in California is one of the most popular trees to collect for bonsai. California junipers grow slowly, usually over hundreds of years, and have interesting deadwood.

Juniperus chinensis 'Femina'

In training since 1975

Gift of James & Helen Barrett, 1990

This tree has been styled to look like a lone tree hit by lightening, causing the top to die. It was a style made popular by the famous American bonsai master John Naka.

Juniperus communis var. depressa

In training since 1980

Gift of Jack B. Douthitt, 1990

Juniperus procumbens 'Nana'

In training since 1975

Gift of Thomas Tecza, 1990

This dwarf type of juniper came to the United States from England about 1900 for use in gardens; however, its small size soon made it a popular choice for beginner bonsai classes.

Juniperus horizotalis 'Prostrata'

In training since 1969

Gift of Kaz & Kiyo Yoneda, 1990

The bonsai artists created the deadwood on this nursery tree in order to make it look like an old juniper collected from the mountains.

Lagerstroemia indica

In training since 1930

Gift of Yuji Yoshimura, 1990

This tree was started in Japan from a cutting by Yuji’s father, Toshiji Yoshimura.

Malus sp.

In training since 1978

Gift of Richard Meszler, 1990

Bonsai artists prefer crabapples over regular apple trees because their smaller fruits are more in keeping with the scale of a bonsai tree.

Olea europaea

In training since 1963

Gift of Melba Tucker, 1990

Originally created from a 20-foot tree, this bonsai achieves the look of great age in part through the hollowed out trunk, which in nature usually indicates that the tree has lived a long time.

Pinus sylvestris

In training since 1972

Gift of Roland Folse, 1990

Root-over-rock style.

Pinus thunbergii

In training since 1970

Gift of Daniel Robinson, 1990

A very unusual bonsai! The trunk is an old ponderosa pine, but the grafted branches are Japanese black pine. Bonsai artists consider the 10-inch-long needles of the ponderosa to be out of scale for bonsai.

Pinus thunbergii

In training since 1950

Gift of Haruo Kaneshiro, 1990

Every summer pines grow new buds at the tips of their branches. In order to maintain a bonsai’s styling, the buds must be removed. Because the buds look like candles, this process is called “candling.”

Pinus thunbergii

In training since 1955

Gift of George Yamaguchi, 1990

Most black pine bonsai are created from mature collected material. This bonsai is unusual because it has been in training since it sprouted from a seed.

Pinus thunbergii Corticosa Group

In training since 1964

Gift of Muriel R. Leeds, 1986

Yuji Yoshimura created this bonsai by grafting cork-bark Japanese black pine to Japanese black pine roots.

Punica granatum

In training since 1963

Gift of Alice T. Naka, 1990

One of the goals of bonsai is to make a tree appear older and bigger than it actually is. By severely tapering the trunk, the artist is creating the illusion of a majestic old tree.

Sequoia sempervirens

In training since 1954

Gift of June M. Chambers, 1990

Taxodium distichum var. distichum

In training since 1987

Gift of Guy Guidry, 1990

Before it became a bonsai this tree was 25 feet tall. The trunk of a mature tree provides the wide flare at the base of the tree so desirable in bonsai.

Taxodium distichum var. distichum and Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium

In training since 1988

Gift of Jim Fritchey & Dick Wild, 1990

The creators of this forest style bonsai used two different types of cypress collected in southwest Florida, planting them atop a 2000-pound natural rock slab.

Ulmus parvifolia 'Catlin'

In training since 1988

Gift of Susanne Barrymore, 1990

This forest planting was created from cuttings of a mutant contorted Chinese elm developed as a cultivar specifically for use in bonsai.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1970

Gift of Marybel Balendonck, 1990

Do you "feel" the wind blowing through this forest? The artist has arranged and styled the trees so they slant to the left, as if in the presence of a steady breeze.

Zelkova serrata

In training since 1972

Gift of Doris W. Froning, 1990

Ficus microcarpa 'Kaneshiro'

In training since 1975

Gift of Haruo Kaneshiro, 1990

This ficus was hybridized by Hawaii's foremost bonsai master, Haruo Kaneshiro. The styling imitates the natural look of old banyan trees in the tropics, with their aerial roots reaching down to add multiple “trunks.”

Casuarina equistifolia

In training since 1978

Gift of Edwin S. Nishida, 1990

This tropical tree native to Australia looks like a pine, but unlike pine, its foliage grows continuously and needs to be plucked back to give it a tidy look for a bonsai.

Schinus terebinthifolia

In training since 1973

Gift of Edward Nakanishi, 1990

This tropical tree native to South America flowers in the early winter.

Acer buergerianum

In training since 1976

Gift of Doris W. Froning, 1994

Ulmus crassifolia

In training since 1981

Gift of Arch R. Hawkins, 1996

This North American native was collected in a field in central Texas. The fine twigging and rough silvery bark are most appreciated in winter after the leaves have fallen.

Quercus agrifolia

In training since 1986

Gift of John Y. Naka, 1997

Interesting trunks like this one are usually found in the wild. John found this coast live oak in 1986 on a cattle ranch about 55 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, CA.

Thuja occidentalis

In training since 1989

Gift of Toronto Bonsai Society, 1996

Northern white-cedars are the oldest trees in Eastern North America. This tree was collected in Canada and styled to reflect its northern origins where heavy snows leave old trees with multiple broken, dead branches.

Premna microphylla

In training since 1988

Gift of William & Joan Clark, 1999

Juniperus chinensis 'Femina'

In training since 1970

Gift of Mas Moriguchi, 1999

Can you imagine walking down the path in this miniature landscape? The artist styled this scene after a redwood forest. By including short trees and little plants he made the tall trees appear to be giants.

Olea europaea

In training since 1972

Gift of Melba Tucker, 2000

Do you see an old olive grove on a rugged coast in the Mediterranean? Like a living postcard, these tray landscapes can conjure up distant places.

Taxodium distichum var. distichum

In training since 1972

Gift of Vaughn L. Banting, 2000

You won't find this tree shape in Asian bonsai. The flat-top form is unique to the old bald cypress trees that grow in the southeast wetlands of the United States.

Picea abies 'Nidiformis'

In training since 1956

Gift of Philip Tacktill, 2001

Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii

Training age unknown

Gift of Sherwin Mitchell, 2002

Even though the trunk has a lot of twists and turns, the top of the tree is aligned over the base in a good example of the informal upright bonsai style.

Fagus grandifolia

In training since 1979

Gift of Fred H. Mies, 2003

This species is native to eastern North America. Its smooth, silver-gray bark is a nice contrast to the foliage.

Liquidambar styraciflua

In training since 1975

Gift of Vaughn Banting, 2003

This native sweetgum tree was collected in Louisiana and styled as a slanting bonsai. Its star-shaped leaves turn brilliant red in the fall.

Taxodium distichum var. mexicanum

In training since 1948

Gift of John Y. Naka, 2004

This was the first bonsai John created after moving to Los Angeles in 1946. He gave it to the museum right before he passed away at the age of 90.

Elaeagnus pungens

In training since 1960

Gift of Mike Naka, 2004

The split and gnarly old trunk on this tree conveys the spirit of survival found in very old trees in nature. John Naka found this thorny elaeagnus growing on property to be demolished for freeway construction in southern California.

Juniperus californica

In training since 1964

Gift of Harry Hirao, 2004

Can you find the "lifeline" on this tree? It is the thin brown line hugging the underside of the deadwood trunk. This living tissue carries water from the roots to the foliage.

Celtis sinensis

In training since 1974

Gift of Dan Chiplis, 2004

Myrciaria cauliflora

In training since 1970s

Gift of Edward & Jean Smith, 2009

This tropical species has become popular with bonsai artists for the beauty of its multicolored, sleek bark, revealed when the outer bark sheds each year.

Pinus thunbergii

In training since 1980

Gift of Janet Lanman, 2010

Ligustrum vulgare

In training since 1979

Gift of Jack Fried, 2010

Originally collected in a cow pasture, this privet was styled as a clump bonsai with a uniquely long lower branch.

Pinus ponderosa

In training since 1966

Gift of the U.S. Forest Service, 1980

This ponderosa pine was donated to the museum in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Forest Service. It was collected and styled by Dan Robinson.

Juniperus chinensis 'Femina' and Juniperus procumbens 'Nana'

In training since 2004

Gift of Frank Goya, 2012

Juniperus californica

In training since 1982

Gift of Sze-ern Kuo, 2012

Juniperus californica

In training since 1989

Gift of Sze-ern Kuo, 2012

Pseudocydonia sinensis

In training since 1975

Gift of Warren Hill, 2013

Juniperus chinensis 'Itoigawa' (branches grafted onto Juniperus horizontalis 'Prostrata' trunk)

In training since 2006

Gift of Takashi Shimazu, 2015

This bonsai was formed by grafting branches of Juniperus chinensis 'Itoigawa' onto the trunk of a large Juniperus horizontalis 'Prostrata' collected at Kobata Nursery in South Gate, California.

Quercus agrifolia

In training since 1989

Gift of Al Nelson, 2016

Collected from a ranch in Santa Barbara, California.

Pinus sylvestris 'R.A.F.'

In training since 1980

Gift of William N. Valavanis, 2017

Juniperus horizontalis

In training since 1952

Gift of Sydney Porter, Jr., 2011

John Naka styled this bonsai and included it in his first book, Bonsai Techniques.

Celtis sinensis

In training since 1946

Gift of Shu-ying Lui, 1986

This is a deciduous tree native to East Asia. When the tree is bare in the winter you can appreciate the zig-zag effect of the pruning style beloved of Chinese penjing artists.

Serissa japonica

In training since 1951

Gift of Shu-ying Lui, 1986

Coming from temperate regions in Asia, this species blooms practically all year round. There are usually so many tiny white flowers that it is also known as the "tree of a thousand stars."

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1961

Gift of Shu-ying Lui, 1986

The trunk of this tree exhibits a flaking bark of grey, pink and tan "camouflage" pattern that explains its other common name--lacebark elm.

Ficus microcarpa

In training since 1906

Gift of Shu-ying Lui, 1986

Ehretia microphylla

In training since 1956

Gift of Shu-ying Lui, 1986

Pseudolarix amabilis

In training since 1971

Gift of Shu-ying Lui, 1986

The golden-larch is a rare and unusual conifer from China that turns bright golden yellow in the fall before dropping its needles.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1961

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

In pairing a rock with a tree, it is important to keep the tree from becoming too big for the rock in order to maintain a balance.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1956

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

Chinese penjing are often styled with contorted roots and branches which give them a sense of lively movement.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1951

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

The leaves of a Chinese elm are so tiny that if we saw a picture of this tree without the pot, we can easily be fooled into believing this is a much larger tree.

Pyracantha crenulata

In training since 1966

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

This forest of firethorn trees produces small red fruits that last through the winter months. In the spring, the trees are covered with fragrant white blossoms.

Sageretia thea

In training since 1961

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

Penjing means "landscape in a tray." Here we see naturalistic groupings of trees as if in the wild. The white marble container or tray is unique to penjing.

Sageretia thea

In training since 1951

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

The Chinese love to add little figurines to their penjing. It helps us imagine what it would be like to sit under this tall tree.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1956

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

To the Chinese, viewing a penjing of a rock with a tree evokes a more distant and rugged wilderness.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1951

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

Root-over-rock style penjing showcases the Chinese love for odd-shaped rocks. The tree has been trained from a young seedling to grow around the rock.

Bougainvillea glabra

In training since 1936

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

Taiwania cryptomerioides

In training since 1946

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1946

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

The hollow trunk and gnarled branches of this tree imply survival into old age.

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 1906

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

Many old Chinese paintings depict trees with angular bends like this one. The hollow trunk and exposed surface roots add to its quirky character.

Podocarpus macrophyllus

In training since 1956

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

This is an evergreen conifer native to mountainous areas of southern China and Japan. Small berry-like fruits ripen in the summer.

Pinus thunbergii

In training since 1936

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

This pine was styled by Yee-sun Wu, a master of the Lingnan School of penjing. Curvy lines of the trunk and branches are a characteristic of this school, suggesting a flowing image.

Pinus thunbergii Corticosa Group

In training since 1936

Gift of Yee-sun Wu, 1986

As this pine matures, its bark develops deep fissures and raised sections known as wings or ridges. Look closely at the branches on this tree to see this characteristic.

Acer buergerianum

In training since 2001

Gift of Qingquan Zhao in Honor of Emily Jane McNear, 2001

This landscape scene was created by Chinese penjing master Qingquan Zhao to suggest islands surrounded by water.

Acer buergerianum

Training years unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

This tree was trained into a Chinese dragon shape! It is unusual to see a tree in this historical style outside of China, especially one made by a Chinese-American.

Ulmus parvifolia

Training age unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

To view this tree is to feel the power of the wind. Why is that? The branches appear to grow in one direction as if forced by a strong wind. The bonsai artist creates this illusion by bending the branches into position with the support of aluminum wires. This creates the distinctive windswept style.

Pinus thunbergii

Training age unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

With its tall, slender trunk and sparse foliage, this pine is an example of the literati style. It resembles the type of trees featured in the paintings of Chinese literati (scholars.)

Acer buergerianum

Training age unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

Ulmus parvifolia

Training years unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

Acer buergerianum

Training age unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

Acer buergerianum

Training age unknown

Gift of Stanley Chinn, 2002

Ulmus parvifolia

In training since 2004

Gift of Yunhua Hu, 2004

This landscape penjing was created here at the Arboretum by Mr. Hu Yun Hua in 2004. He was the Director of the Penjing Research Center at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in China.

Acer buergerianum

In training since 1955

Gift of Michael Levin, 1999

This is an example of the exposed-root style popular in China. It is inspired by trees growing along riverbanks. When soil is gradually washed away, their roots develop a protective bark like the trunk.

Wrightia religiosa

Training age unknown

Gift of Dr. Tang Quoc Kiet, 2002

Water-jasmine is a popular material for bonsai in southeast Asia. This one was imported from Vietnam, where rounded, cloud-shaped foliage pads on bonsai are typical.