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PLEASING BRANCH ARRANGEMENT AS SHOWN FROM THE CANOPY (ABOVE) AND FROM THE FRONT (RIGHT) OF A BONSAI TREE EACH BRANCH HAS ITS SPACE AND NONE OVERSHADOWS ANOTHER.

The rules that govern branches

○ The lowest branches should be the thickest, and they become progressively thinner as they proceed up the length of the trunk.

○ Branches should be more widely spaced at the bottom of the tree, and should grow closer and closer together towards the top.

○ On a curved trunk, branches should always emerge from the outer edge of the curve, never from the inside of the curve.

○ No two branches should emerge directly opposite each other. This creates an undesirable ‘handlebar’ effect which immediately stops the eye from travelling up the trunk.

○ Branches should always harmonize with trunks. Straight trunks must have straight branches and curved trunks, curved branches.

This pattern is followed right up the trunk, with front branches being introduced at about two-thirds of the trunk height, or higher. Keeping the lower part free of forward-growing branches keeps the trunk within view. If the trunk is lost to view the bonsai will look more like a shrub than a tree.

Having learned the basic rules and started to apply them, you’ll see that it is practically impossible to satisfy them all, unless you start with a seedling. However, do try to stick as closely as possible to the ideal.

These rules, however, are not set in stone; they are guidelines which should lead you to the creation of a near-perfect tree. There are several methods by which you can achieve the same result by using a little imagination and ingenuity. Don’t ever think that you should sacrifice your creative sensibilities for the sake of adherence to a set of arbitrary rules.

An attractive bonsai Common Privet (Ligustrum lucidum) which demonstrates an excellent branch arrangement in the Upright Style.