Introduction
Satsuki or Rhododendron indicum is one of the most popular bonsai type cultivated in Japan. The Satsuki azalea has become a specialty, mainly in the area of the city Kanuma, just north of Tokyo. Kanuma, the special ground for Satsuki is named after this city.
In Japan, Satsuki festivals are held yearly, during the months of May and June. The most beautiful Satsuki, coming from the whole of Japan, are displayed there. Since the Satsuki make up a separate group, separate magazines and books are published in Japan.
Since the 17th century, Japanese have specialised in the development of hybrids (a crossing between two kinds or varieties). The first work, Kinshuku Makura, was published as early as 1692. It was printed with wooden blocks, and the subject matter was the azalea; it was here that the word “Satsuki” was used for the first time.
In Japan, the “Sa-tsuki”, which means the fifth month, symbolizes spring time. The blooming reaches its height during the months of May and/or June. When the Satsuki blooms the flowers catch the attention of everybody. Since the blooming only lasts a few weeks a year, its shape is very important. Satsuki bonsai are also fascinating and impressive without flowers.
Nowadays, there are about 3,000 Satsuki varieties; others say 5,000 types, varying in size, colour and shape. They are mainly cultivated for their flowers. The flowers are often small and occur in the colours purple, purple-red, red and white. Often there are more colours on one Satsuki and even more colours in one flower. Preferably, there should be as many colours as possible on the same bonsai.
Styles
In Nature, trees are forced into all kinds of shapes under the influences of weather, wind and placement. Consequently, bonsai trees can have many shapes and sizes and, depending on their way of growing, they are grouped into various styles and shapes. Maybe some shapes seem strange and unnatural, but they are all based on the ways trees grow in Nature. Each tree, however, has its own character and within a certain style there is still an enormous variety. Usually a bonsai tree is given its name according to its shape or the number of trunks it has. The most frequent styles are described below and are accompanied by an illustration.
CHOKKAN (formal upright style)
The trunk is straight and tapers toward the top. The branches of the bonsai must gradually become shorter and thinner from the bottom to the top and be horizontal compared with the trunk, or bend slightly downwards. The roots at the base of the trunk are nicely spread. The whole composition must be in balance with the trunk and the pot.
MOYOGI (informal upright style)
The trunk is slightly bent and tapers toward the top. The top of the tree is straight above the base of the trunk. The branches are distributed asymmetrically. The lower branches must be placed at the outer side of the curves or bends.
Repeated ‘S’ style
This style, non-existent within the large number of varied bonsai styles, probably has its origin in that a branch is maintained on each outside bend. Thanks to this, the clusters of Satsuki flowers are shown in a way that is stunning. They aim to reach the desired trunk height, therefore giving hardly any time for the trunk to become thicker.
SHAKAN (slanting style)
In Nature a tree can lean to one side when there is a prevailing wind direction, or when a tree is standing in the shade and growing toward the light. In the slanting style, the trunk bends along its entire length to the left or to the right. The trunk can be both straight and curved. Very strong roots grow in the direction of the inclined trunk. In this way, the roots under the inclined trunk are pressed into the ground. This gives the impression that the bonsai is firmly anchored in its pot.
SOKAN (double-trunk style)
A double trunk occurs if a tree develops two trunks out of a single root base. The junction of the trunks at the base must be sharply “V”-shaped and not “U”-shaped. One of the trunks dominates because of its length or thickness. The smaller tree must be no more than two thirds the height of the larger. Together they form a common crown, just as we see in Nature.
FUKINAGASHI (windswept style)
You should imagine this style as a tree through which wind is blowing at this moment. The main branches stay in position; only the thin branches and leaves position themselves according to the direction of the wind.
BUNJINGI (‘literati’ style)
This strange style is characterised by a thin slender trunk with only a few branches. The lower branches are often dead and barren, but the trunk itself is very full of character. The style owes the name ‘literati” to the paintings of old Chinese artists, who would reproduce a tree in an almost abstract way. It is characterised by elegance and grace.
ISHITSUKI (rock-clinging style)
This is a planting where the tree grows on a rock, or the roots cling to a rock in a small crevice where there is a little soil.
SEKIJOJU (root-over-rock style)
This rock planting is where the roots grow over the rock and disappear into the ground.
NEAGARI (exposed-root style)
The roots of the neagari emerge above the surface of the soil. These uncovered roots give the impression that the tree has been exposed to soil erosion for many years.
KENGAI (cascade style) & HAN-KENGAI (half-cascade style)
In Nature, this tree grows on a rock face and, because of snow and wind, it first grows downwards and then upwards again.In Kengai the leaves grow lower than the pot. In Han-Kengai they don’t.
IKADABUKI (raft style)
This style represents a fallen tree, with the trunk buried under the soil. The branches at the top of the fallen tree grow straight upward as trunks.
YOSE-UE (forest-group style)
We can see this style as a small forest in a flat pot. It should create the illusion of a miniature version of a forest. Satsuki are used to copying a forest in bloom. If Satsuki are used for group cultivation, all trees should be of the same type. The distances between the trees should be different. Do not place three or more trees on the same line. The trunks should vary in thickness and height. The number of trees in a smaller group cultivation should be uneven. Though if more than 15 trees are used, it is not so important to stick to uneven numbers.
