Bonsai Pot Guide - JAM's Bonsai 🌱

Shape

The shape of a bonsai pot is more than aesthetic — it sets the tone for the entire composition. Whether rectangular, oval, round, or square, each form offers a unique visual foundation that enhances the tree’s style, character, and movement.

Rectangle Containers

Formal and foundational shape in bonsai container design. Best for formal upright (Chokkan), informal upright (Moyogi), and twin trunk (Sokan) styles.

Offers strong visual base and angular corners that reinforce tree stability. More soil volume and visual weight than ovals.

Oval Containers

Softer shape, suitable for informal upright, broom, semi-cascade, and root-over-rock styles.

Lacks corners, so less visual dominance—tree takes visual priority. Feminine form suited to trees with curving trunks and flow.

Round Containers

Includes forms like fukuro bachi, drum (taiko), shallow literati pots, etc. Apex must break the lateral rim boundary to retain balance.

Fits many dynamic styles: literati, cascading, semi-cascading, slanting. Round symmetry requires movement in the tree to maintain interest.

Square Containers

Balanced yet angular, great for strong upright styles.

Best for formal/informal upright, especially heavy or thick-trunked trees. Less common, but ideal for powerful trees that benefit from structured containers.

Color & Glazing

Glazing and color give a bonsai pot emotional tone and seasonal character. While glazed pots bring brightness and expressiveness—especially for deciduous, flowering, or fruiting trees—unglazed surfaces offer grounding, earthy support, ideal for conifers and aged bark.

Glazed

Used with broadleaf, flowering, and fruiting trees.

Matches seasonal expression and color in tree.

Offers color and glaze play for more expressive compositions.

Unglazed

Used with conifers or trees with rugged bark.

Offers subtle, earth-toned support for aged or masculine trees.

Supports timeless aesthetics and quiet power.

Exceptions

Satsuki azaleas in unglazed Gyozan containers (for root health).

Ume (Japanese plum) may use both glazed and unglazed due to bark/flower contrast.

Rim Design

The rim of a bonsai pot frames the base of the composition and subtly influences its visual flow. Whether flared, straight, or beaded, rim styles can add elegance, strength, or refinement—supporting the tree’s form without overpowering it.

Outward Flaring Rim

Adds elegance, breadth, and movement.

Pairs well with feminine trees, literati, or informal upright forms.

Straight Rim

Keeps a strong, grounded presence.

Ideal for powerful trees with mass and straight taper.

Beaded or Rolled Rim

Subtle refinement often used in small containers.

Echoes trunk/root detail and adds visual nuance.

Ornamentation & Feet

Details like ornamentation and feet add refinement and meaning to a bonsai pot. Carvings and motifs in traditional zones bring cultural nuance, while feet elevate the container—offering visual lift, drainage, and a balance of groundedness or elegance.

Ornamentation

Describes container zones in traditional kanji: upper, middle, and lower bands.

May include carvings, motifs, or textures.

Should complement the tree’s movement, not distract from it.

Feet

Provide visual lift, drainage, and elegance.

Range from subtle to ornate depending on tree style.

Heavy feet = grounded feel. Light feet = elegance and openness.

Understanding Bonsai Pots