Some forms of sculpture take a bit more patience than others. Plant shaping and bonsai pruning are two examples of art that takes years. With patience comes permanence, however, as a properly shaped plant will impress generations.

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Shaped trees are most often manicured for decorative purposes only, but they can also be made functional. By carefully guiding a plant’s growth around metal support beams, small buildings can be constructed out of a living frame.

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A gorgeous, organic fluidity makes these plants perfect example of the highest end of the bonsai art spectrum. Carefully shaped and pruned to be gorgeous microcosms of nature, they are living art.

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Some shaped plants are more complicated than others, but all require a level of patience beyond the limit of the average person.

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The artist Takanori Aiba creates fantastic epoxy bonsais and artwork that are realistic enough to seem totally believable, but wild enough to keep one inspecting the artistic details for hours.

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Pooktre is a company that shapes plants into furniture and fantastic designs. Some of the plants are harvested for pre-shaped furniture, while others are meant to remain as living artwork.

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Bonsai trees can be formed into an incredible variety of shapes and sizes. These examples vary wildly in terms of their overall design.

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For those who don’t take the art of bonsai as seriously as others, Crash Bonsai is a company that feels the same way. Crash Bonsai creates highly realistic car models that have had a minor accident… the perfect accoutrement to that bonsai tree.

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Who says a bonsai can’t have any color? These examples show the range of appearances these versatile plants can take on.

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The art of bonsai has been around for thousands of years and its popularity is only growing. There is something powerful about shaping nature to fit one’s design, while also learning to have patience and a gentle hand.