Branches cleared out below, foliage left to billow above in separate rounded masses: niwaki, the Japanese art of cloud pruning, turns an ordinary tree or shrub into a miniature landscape that invites meditation. Conifers such as yew, pine and cypress take to it most readily, and patience, diligence and perseverance decide whether the shape succeeds.
An ancestral, elaborate art, this cloud pruning technique was developed to create symbolic spaces, miniature representations of landscapes in your own garden to deepen meditation. This form of topiary is very trendy these days.
Ideal when setting up a Japanese-style Zen garden, cloud pruning follows several guiding inspirations.
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Not at all. Actually, quite the opposite. Indeed, cloud pruning mainly addresses trees and shrubs that are either grown in pots or directly in the ground. Of course, it is also possible to prune a bonsai into a cloud – let us not stifle creativity – but the practice doesn’t stem from bonsai care in the first place.
Patience, diligence and perseverance are the key to succeeding in cloud pruning a tree or shrub.
Ideally, you’ll be starting with a young specimen. For the more creative spirits, you can try digging a trench along one side of the foot of the tree to slant the trunk somewhat. 2 years later, you can uproot it slightly to tip it again in another direction: that way, you’ll be creating an original, visually appealing bearing.
The cloud pruning of a tree can be broken down into 4 distinct steps. The first is to study the specimen awaiting to be pruned. Indeed, for an effective niwaki, the existing structure of the tree or shrub must be visualized, otherwise the pruning will be a disaster.
Once the structure has been absorbed, comes “decluttering”: the tree is cleaned and the tree/shrub is pruned. Dead wood, small unruly branches, etc. are removed. At this stage, your shrub or tree will be much more aerated.
Then, you can proceed to separate the masses that will ultimately resemble clouds. For that, let yourself be guided by the thickness of the branches, their direction, and the overall bearing of your shrub.
Take note: to cloud prune your masses into clouds, choose a small bonsai hand pruner cleaned with alcohol beforehand to avoid spreading diseases, and then start cutting the branches that stick out of the cloud. But you’ll also need to pinch off smaller shoots located under the cloud, to give it a pure silhouette.
Cloud pruning seems rather difficult, and it indeed requires rigorous work. But take a look around: there are excellent books appearing that explain all there is to know about cloud pruning. So if you wish to have a trendy, meditation-inviting garden, visit your local bookshop.
Niwaki is worked in a fixed order, and each stage has its own purpose and its own guide. Use this summary to check where you are before picking up the pruner.
| Step | What you do | What guides you |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Study the specimen | Look before cutting and visualise the existing structure | The natural framework of branches already present in the tree or shrub |
| 2. Declutter | Clean the plant, taking out dead wood and small unruly branches | The result is a much more aerated shrub or tree |
| 3. Separate the masses | Decide which groups of foliage will become the clouds | Thickness of the branches, their direction and the overall bearing |
| 4. Shape each cloud | Cut branches that stick out and pinch off shoots under the cloud | A small bonsai hand pruner, cleaned with alcohol to avoid spreading disease |
Work through the steps in order: skipping the study stage is what turns a promising tree into a disaster.
Conifers of course!
Japanese appreciate conifers which are very docile when subjected to cloud pruning. Yew, pine, cypress, podocarpus, etc. are excellent specimens.
As always, you can also explore using this technique on other types of more local trees: hornbeam, holly, yaupon, boxwood …
Why not also try on flower shrubs such as Camellia, Wisteria and Japanese cherry trees!
Creativity and imagination are the key: the only trees that would not fare well when cloud pruned niwaki-style are tall, trunk-heavy trees such as the cypress stricta or birch.
In nurseries and garden centers, it’s possible to purchase specimens that are already many years old.
This will save you time and immediately give your garden a strong impact.
But to keep it in shape, ask the garden store if you can attend when they prune those they have on display. It’s the best way to learn and avoid ruining your (usually) expensive purchase!
