Horticulture

Bonsai are not a specific species of tree, and they are not stunted, starved, or tortured. A good-quality bonsai is a healthy, well-nourished, vigorously growing tree. It is small in part because it is regularly trimmed and in part because container cultivation limits the size of the root system. A healthy bonsai regularly produces an abundance of new growth that the artist uses to develop and refine its shape. In most cases, bonsai require natural daylight for photosynthesis and therefore should not be treated as houseplants. Despite the fact that bonsai prefer an outdoor environment (appropriate to the species), even cold-hardy plants require protection in below-freezing weather, due to the exposure of roots in small containers.