A celebrity among trees: a bonsai that survived 4 generations and a nuke
Beauty blooms at every age
The luxury bonsai from the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, which has been growing for 391 years, could tell you about it. Even though it used to grow near Hiroshima, only 5 km away from the blast site, it remained completely unharmed. The paradox, however, is that in 1976 its owner Masaru Yamaki donated it to the US.
The plant is now boldly strutting on a luxurious spot, admired by the visitors who would never guess its age quite so high. By the date of "birth", the bonsai has reached retirement age long ago, but on the first sight it is a tree in its best years.
Bonsai trees - a hobby which makes time turn into a relative quantity
The word bonsai comes from two Japanese words: bon = bowl, sai = tree / to plant. It concerns the cultivation of small trees in bowls and their miniaturization. The bowl is the foundation of the cultivation, since the strength of the root rise should be equal to its height. In these dwarf trees, a massive trunk and a branched crown which never towers high are emphasized. They are trimmed regularly every other week and watered depending on the color of their leaves. This hobby is only for the hands of those who do not lack in patience, because the work never ends. The trees continue to grow, eventually becoming a treasured family heritage.
Ficus plants, pines, maples, junipers and other coniferous trees can be grown in this manner.
The hobby of bonsai cultivation can be traced deep into the past, all the way to ancient China.
People were trying to create the illusion of a venerable tree, and they succeeded. This tradition is being passed down from generation to generation. In China, owning a bonsai is something like a national tradition.
You can buy such a "dwarf" tree for a few thousand or more. The price depends on the age and type of the bonsai: whether it is uro, sabamiki or neagari. Another decisive factor is the origin, according to which bonsai trees are further divided into jamadori, potensai, kóradabuki.
