View all Events

Botanical Exhibitions

Bonsai Society of Portland Exhibition

Presented by the Bonsai Society of Portland

Bonsai featured in past Bonsai Society of Portland exhibition. Photo by Jonathan Ley.

Saturday, April 26th, 2025 / 10:00am – 5:00pm

*This show will also be open during Member Hours starting at 9:30am

Sunday, April 27st, 2025 / 10:00am – 4:00pm

*This show will also be open during Member Hours starting at 9:00am

Portland Japanese Garden welcomes the Bonsai Society of Portland (BSOP) for a bonsai exhibition in the Yanai Classroom, located in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts
Learning Center.

Bonsai, which literally translates to “tree-in-a-tray,” is the art and science of miniature trees.
Literal translation aside, “bonsai” has evolved to mean an artistically shaped woody plant that is intended to suggest the image of a mature tree in nature. The creation of a miniaturized
landscape fulfills the human yearning for a connection to nature in the smallest of spaces.

This exhibition will include dozens of bonsai from BSOP members’ private collections, including several world-class examples of this ancient Japanese art form. Guests will see coniferous, deciduous, fruiting, and flowering species, ranging in size from three-foot-tall specimens to tiny shohin trees small enough to hold in the palm of your hand.

Scenes from a past Bonsai Society of Portland exhibition. Photo by Jonathan Ley.

The Bonsai Society of Portland Exhibition coincides with the return of bonsai displayed on
Portland Japanese Garden’s Ellie M. Hill Bonsai Terrace in our Cultural Village and the Jubitz
Oregon Terrace, on the second floor of Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. Both
displays rotate frequently, giving returning visitors a chance to see many different bonsai
species, styles and seasonally resplendent specimens.

Throughout the weekend, guests can see live demonstrations at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. Stay tuned for the schedule.

About the Bonsai Society of Portland

The Bonsai Society of Portland has been an active group in the Portland area since 1966. It was founded to promote the art of bonsai through education, exhibits and social activities. The
Society welcomes everyone interested in this unique and beautiful art form to share in the
bonsai experience and develop both basic and advanced skills. Exhibits and related art forms
are used to share bonsai with the public. The trees, stands, pots, stones, accents, and
arrangements in the exhibits are the result of many years of training and dedication by
members of the Society


WHERE IS THIS EVENT HAPPENING?

Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center

The Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center was designed to be the cultural, educational, and architectural hub of the new Cultural Village. “With a new classroom, library, and performance space, the Learning Center provides an open and welcoming space where visitors can learn more about the culture that gave us the Japanese garden art form,”