Bonsai is aptly defined as the process by which trees or shrubs are purposefully grown to be miniature models of their natural size. Pine trees in the wild reach a height of several meters but through bonsai, the tree is kept at less than a meter high. In addition to keeping the plant in a small pot or container, the miniaturization process is accomplished by pruning both the foliage and roots. Over time the branches are treated to follow a certain aesthetic transformation. The trunk is made to look aged and the foliage becomes a miniature representation of actual leaves.
History
Although 'bonsai' generally conjures up images of the Japanese version, the term has also come to include both the Chinese penjing and Korean bunjae. In fact, the bonsai process appears to have originated in mainland China around 200 AD. Although its origins on not entirely clear, the art may have started with the practice of potting medicinal plants for traveling Chinese healers who attempted to shape trunks to look like animals and mystic figures.
