What is Bonsai?

bonsai is an artform where someone manipulates a tree or shrub to create an image of an old tree that survived for years in the nature.
Literally translated Bonsai means tree in pot or container, but in my opinion not every stick in a pot is to be called a bonsai it takes years of applying techniques to create the desired image a mature and old looking tree.
One of the most made misconceptions is that bonsai itself is not a genus of tree species and so called special bonsai seeds are nonexistent!
it are just normal trees like the ones found in nature but trough keeping it in a shallow small pot and applying techniques to the tree at the right times like pruning, wiring, repotting and more one can shape and guide that tree to become a bonsai.

Basicly any type of trees or shrub that lignify can be used for bonsai but be aware that some species are more suitable then others, things to consider when choosing a species to create a bonsai from is that some species have really large leaves vs some that naturally have smaller leaves. This will help creating a balanced image but also the ramification a tree can produce, species like Ulmus will have much smaller leaves and the ability to produce more finer ramification compared for instance with a chestnut tree witch has larger leaves and coarser growth.
There are techniques to reduce leave size and to create more ramification but it really helps using the advantage of the natural aspects of the species to help getting faster and better results because a small tree with just a couple leaves that are really large does not scale well to create a balanced image of a old well ramified mature tree.

this was bonsai in a short explanation from my side but as it has originated a long time ago and it has a long history and is a long read you find more info about the History of bonsai here:
History of bonsai

Are you interested in learning more about bonsai or start with growing your own bonsai I suggest reading trough the library !