Meet Bonsai Trees: The Smallest Trees in the World

A bonsai is an artistic cultivation of a tree in nature, but on a smaller scale, grown using eastern horticultural techniques. The word bonsai comes from the word pen-zin, an old Chinese word meaning tiny tree planted in a tray.

This fascination with eastern horticulture contributed to these cultivation techniques being imported by European and American countries. They were incorporated into western horticulture in the late 19th century.

This species is also known as the three-toothed maple. It was named in honor of the German biologist and botanist Heinrich Bürger (1804–1858), who studied flora and fauna in Japan. This specimen with well-structured branches is about 80 years old.

A magnificent specimen, likely 100 years old. This bonsai tree has eye-catching bark that looks like veins twisted around the trunk, giving it an appearance that makes it hard to believe it is natural. The Royal Botanic Garden acquired it in 2011.

The English hawthorn or midland hawthorn is also known as the mayflower. Crataegus comes from the Greek krátaigos, meaning hard, which is a reference to the hardness of its wood. laevigata means smooth or polished, alluding to the smooth surface of its branches. This specimen is about 65 years old.

This tree is also known as the five-needle pine or by its synonym, Pinus pentaphyla Mayr, because it has five needles. The Latin term parviflora means "with small flowers." This hundred-year-old specimen was awarded Best Large Tree in the 2019 Nishikiten exhibition in Barcelona.

Known in Spanish as mountain maple (arce de montaña), the main characteristic of this subspecies of maple is its ability to adapt to high altitudes. This tree has an unusual double-trunk style (known as Sokan) and is about 80 years old.

This tree was acquired from the 2009 Kokufu-ten bonsai exhibition at the Ueno Green Club in Tokyo. The generic name Juniperus comes from iuniperus, which was the ancient Romans' word for juniper. The geographical epithet chinensis refers to the trees' location in China.

Wisteria comes from the word Wistaria, which is an obsolete name for this genus. This plant is 45 years old and is most beautiful in spring, when it blooms with large, bright green leaves and clusters of striking purple flowers at the tips of its branches.

This tree is known for the crimson color of its leaves when it blooms in early spring, which then turn green in summer and yellow in late fall. This specimen was showcased at the I UBE Bonsai Convention in Spain (Aranjuez, near Madrid) in 2021 and was awarded a Mention of Merit.

This species is native to Japan and can also be found in Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It was given its Latin name, serrata, because of its serrated leaves. This specimen is about 65 years old.

The mume or ume is also known as the Japanese apricot or Chinese plum tree. This specimen is 100 years old and has a freestyle shape, known as Bunjin. It came to the Royal Botanic Garden in 2011. Its white flowers, which blossom in early January, attract many pollinating insects.