Japanese Bonsai - Maple (楓)

The maple tree’s slender leaf stalks make its leaves highly responsive to even the slightest breeze. When the wind blows, the leaves flutter and rub against each other, producing a soft "rustling" sound. This delicate movement gives the impression that the tree is responding to the wind, which is why the maple is named after the wind. The characters for "maple" (楓) and "wind" (風) are pronounced the same in Chinese, which leads to the interpretation of the maple tree as the "wind tree" (風樹). This poetic connection highlights the maple’s harmonious relationship with nature and its role as a symbol of the elements in the natural world.