Updated 5/01/02

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Formal Upright

The formal upright is a classic style- suitable to almost all trees and is fairly easy to work with.
As the name suggests, the tree is trained to grow straight up, as close to perfect vertical as possible. The branches too are trained- but preferably as horizontal as possible (keeping an attractive look).
As like all styles of Bonsai, this style is to reflect a full grown tree. In my belief (and from what I have seen) the formal upright reflects the style of a full grown Cypress or some of the varieties of pine. Thus these two tree types are often the classic icon of the formal upright style.

As with most styles you would use wire and tip pruning to keep the tree small.

First you must choose a branch which you want to the top point after the pruning, usually it is one of the upper branches. From there, cut just above the branch leaving a couple millimeters of the original trunk. The trunk will never grow back.

Next, you wind a wire around the plant- with one end anchored into the soil, until you wind to the end of the top branch. Carefully push the branch until it is completely vertical.

With the formal upright, you might also want to place wire around the branches (do this after the wire has been removed for the top branch- too much wire can damage the tree), and shape them until you have the branch in a slight "J" shape- much like the Cascade style- with each branch to give a natural look of heavy braches. This will suit many pines and conifers but may not work with other trees- such as an elm. The main thing to remember is to keep the natural look of the tree, only on a miniature scale.

As with all Bonsai's, the tip pruning is a repeated job to maintain the miniature height of the tree.

Good tree's for Formal uprights:

*Pines
*Cypress
*Eucalypts
*Elms
*Jacarandas
*Weeping willow