Cascade and Semi-Cascade Bonsai Style

In the Kengai, or Cascade style, the tree grows up from the soil, then grows down past the edge of the container. With a thin, twisting trunk, the tree may remind the viewer of water rolling down a hillside. Unlike other styles, in which the tree is planted towards one edge of the pot, the tree of a Cascade or Semi-Cascade should be planted in the center.

The branches should be uniform and at a right angle to the almost vertical trunk. The Semi-Cascade, or Han Kengai, style is similar to the Cascade in that the tree grows over the edge of the pot, but it does not dip down below the base. The trunk is not strictly horizontal; it grows below the edge of the pot, but not as far the base.

Any species that is not naturally very persistently upright is appropriate for the Cascade and Semi-Cascade styles, especially flowering plants and the prostrate juniper.