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Informal Upright "Moyogi"

An informal upright bonsai tree.

The informal upright bonsai style, or moyogi, is a way of shaping a bonsai tree that resembles a natural tree that has been exposed to wind and other environmental factors. The trunk of the moyogi style is slightly bent and tapers toward the top, forming a gentle S-curve. The branches are distributed asymmetrically along the trunk, and they should extend from the outside of the curves, not the inside. The top of the tree should be aligned with the base of the trunk and face the viewer. The moyogi style is suitable for many species of bonsai trees, such as pine, maple, juniper, and conifer. It is one of the most popular and common styles in bonsai, and it can create an elegant and graceful appearance for the tree.

Other trees in the collection that share this property:

This Japanese Hornbeam was imported from Japan by bonsai artist Jim Doyle of Nature’s Way Bonsai Nursery in 2005.  It has been in training since 2005.  The tree was acquired by the Krohn Conservatory in 2016 when it was donated by Bonsai Society member D. Brown.

It is an informal upright style. The pot is made by Sara Rayner and is round, unglazed, brown in color and is 5 inches deep.

This Japanese Yew was donated by longtime Bonsai Society member Dr. Aaron Perlman in 2010. 

It is in the informal upright style.  The pot is rectangular, unglazed, brown in color and is 5 inches deep.

Taxus cuspidata, the Japanese yew or spreading yew, is a member of the genus Taxus, native to Japan, Korea, northeast China and the extreme southeast of Russia.  They are relatively slow growing and can be very long-lived.  They are popular in public and home gardens.

This Ficus Retusa is an informal upright style.

The pot is small, rectangle, glazed and blue in color.

Ficus retusa is a species of evergreen woody plant in the fig genus, native to Asia and Australia. It is also known as the Taiwan Ficus, Indian laurel fig, or ginseng Ficus. It has a thick, pot-bellied trunk, glossy green leaves, and aerial roots that can form additional trunks. It is commonly grown as a bonsai tree, due to its ability to adapt to pruning and shaping.

This Bougainvillea was donated by Bonsai Society member Judy Fister, and Bob Hill from the Dayton Bonsai Society in 2018. 

It is a mother/daughter composition and informal upright style.  The pot is oval, glazed, beige in color and is 4 inches deep.

The first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a botanist accompanying French Navy admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation of the Earth. It was first published by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789. 

This Taiwan Fig was donated by Bonsai Society member Mike Scheid in 2008.  For its initial styling, it was grown over two stakes. 

It is an informal upright style with aerial roots. The pot is large oval, glazed, blue in color and is 5 inches deep. 

Taiwan Fig is cultivated as an ornamental tree for planting in gardens, parks, and in containers as an indoor plant and bonsai specimen. In Southeast Asia, it is cultivated as a shade tree because of its dense foliage.  

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