EVENTS
At the U.S. National Arboretum
Free and open to the public
Free demonstrations October 12, 18, 19 at 1pm
For more information visit Ikebana International Chapter 1’s website here.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Christopher M. Cochrane, a longstanding friend of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and dedicated connoisseur of East Asian art, particularly viewing stones, passed away in December 2024. As a passionate collector of viewing stones, scholars’ rocks, root art, scrolls, and literati objects, Chris filled his life with art and with friends and fellow travelers. In collaboration with members of the Potomac Viewing Stone Group, the Museum is pleased to present a small portion of the collection which brought Chris such joy.
Special Exhibits Wing, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Colorful cultivars of late-blooming Satsuki azaleas have been hybridized in Japan for hundreds of years. This annual exhibit showcases our most spectacular examples in a two-week indoor display. Based on individual bloom times, trees may be on display in the outdoor pavilions before and after the indoor exhibit.
National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, U.S. National Arboretum
The 2025 Potomac Bonsai Festival returns to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum on May 9-11, 2025. The Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA) and its affiliated clubs are excited to celebrate bonsai with our annual festival in conjunction with World Bonsai Day on Saturday, May 10, and a special celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the Yamaki Pine.
Presented in partnership with the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, the National Bonsai Foundation, U.S. National Arboretum, and the World Bonsai Friendship Federation, the festival includes an exhibition of bonsai by PBA members, formal bonsai displays, bonsai vendors, beginner workshops, a bonsai learning series, children’s activities, Museum tours, and demonstrations and workshops led by our guest artists. More about the guest artists and schedule of events at the button below!
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
As he followed the blossoming cherry trees from south to north in Japan, landscape architect Ron Henderson recorded his experience in folding sketchbooks called orihon. His work celebrates the cherry blossom culture in Japan, highlighting his pilgrimages to visit famous old trees. He also focuses on the horticultural practices that extend the lives of cherry trees in Japan, illustrating pruning techniques, branch crutches, rope tenting, and root grafting. This exhibition of Henderson’s books inspires awe for the trees as well as appreciation for the unique way one man documented his journey.
Winter unveils the true artistry of bonsai, where the “bare bones” of each tree reveal the skillful craftsmanship behind these miniature masterpieces. Starting this weekend, explore a formal display of deciduous bonsai, hand-selected by our curators from the museum’s permanent collection.
Winter Silhouettes
🗓 January 18 – February 2, 2025
🕙 10 AM – 4 PM
📍 National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
(Closed on Martin Luther King Day, January 20)
Alongside this special display, more bonsai from the Museum's collection will be on view in the Chinese Pavilion, Tropical Greenhouse, and Japanese Pavilion providing a serene and inspiring winter escape.
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the timeless beauty of bonsai in its barest form.
(All dates except for Veteren’s Day)
THROUGHOUT FULL MUSEUM
This exhibition celebrates the autumn season with traditional Asian arts of nature in peak colors and forms. Enjoy bonsai in their autumnal colors before the leaves fall away to reveal their bare winter silhouettes. See red maples, yellow ginkgo and fruited trees in the Museum’s permanent collection pavilions. The Special Exhibits Wing features formal displays with select trees during their peak fall colors interspersed with chrysanthemum stones from China, Japan, and California.
Photography by Stephen Voss.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Chinese and Japanese scholars have appreciated stones for centuries. They were said to "cultivate" themselves through stone appreciation. Modern enthusiasts reinvigorate these traditions by exhibiting landscape-view and nature-related stones. Adding to the synergy of modern viewing stone practice, this exhibit of PVSG member stones suggests changes and challenges in stone appreciation.
National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Arboretum Visitor Center
Together with the Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA), the U.S. National Arboretum is honoring World Bonsai Day on May 11th with a weekend festival celebrating the art of bonsai. A juried exhibit of PBA bonsai will be on view in the Museum’s Exhibits Gallery. Aspiring and longtime bonsai artists will find everything they need and more from vendors selling bonsai, pre-bonsai, pots, accents, and supplies. The weekend includes free demonstrations, children’s activities, and docent-led tours of the Museum. Beginner bonsai workshops will be offered throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. The $75 fee for the workshop includes everything you need to get started, including a tree. Advanced registration for the workshop is strongly recommended but not required.
Visit the PBA website for a full festival schedule, including a list of confirmed vendors and information about the paid workshops.
Register for a workshop: Click here!
This course is hosted by the U.S. National Arboretum, with registration support by Friends of the National Arboretum. This course is offered in partnership with Potomac Bonsai Association and Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society.
The horticultural perfection of a bonsai does not have to take decades to accomplish. The chrysanthemum can be artfully shaped into a bonsai within one growing season. This Bonsai Basics course is a series of five classes. Participants meet about once a month for lectures and demonstrations, beginning on Saturday, May 4th and concluding on Saturday, November 2nd.
This course is hosted by the Arboretum, with registration support by FONA. Registration costs $200 for the entire course. FONA members, use your discount code to receive 20% off. Register soon, spots are limited and this event fills quickly!
At registration, students will select from one of four small groups that meet on different dates and times. With no more than ten students in each, these groups allow for individualized attention from the instructors. All students will meet jointly for the first and last lessons. There is no variation in course content among the groups.
Group schedules are listed below. Students may not switch small groups during the course. If a group is not available when you register, that group is full. There is no waitlist for individual small groups, only the course as a whole.
Group A
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Saturday, June 15 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, August 3 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, September 21 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Group B
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Saturday, June 15 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, August 3 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, September 21 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Group C
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Sunday, June 16 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Sunday, August 4 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Sunday, September 22 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Group D
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Sunday, June 16 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Sunday, August 4 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Sunday, September 22 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Presented by Ikebana International, Washington, D.C. Chapter No. 1
U.S. National Arboretum
April 12 - 21, 10 am - 4 pm
Free and open to the public
Special Events:
Free Live Demonstrations on April 13, 14, 20, 21 from 1 - 2 pm
Ikebana for Kids Workshop on April 21 from 1 -2 :30 pm (Need Prior Registration)
Ikebana International, Washington D.C. Chapter No. 1 will host its annual exhibition at the U.S. National Arboretum. The exhibition will demonstrate the creativity and artistry of their members in arrangements representing several different schools of ikebana. There will also be live demonstrations showcasing ikebana styles of four different schools.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
This exhibit of landscape-view and nature-related stones will transport you to far-flung locations around the world. The stones are from the collections of members of the Potomac Viewing Stone Group, a regional organization dedicated to stone appreciation. Come and let your imagination travel!
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Colorful cultivars of late-blooming Satsuki azaleas have been hybridized in Japan for hundreds of years. This annual exhibit showcases our most spectacular examples in a one-week indoor display. Based on individual bloom times, trees may be on display in the outdoor pavilions before and after the indoor exhibit.
Attend a special after Museum hours event in celebration of World Bonsai Day! Enjoy tours, music, sake tastings, bento-boxes and a film screening of BICENTENNIAL BONSAI: EMISSARIES OF PEACE followed by a Q&A with filmmakers. Registration required.
A film by Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan
35 min | 2020 | Washington, DC Premier
If more people did bonsai, there would be more peace in the world.
-Saburo Kato (1915–2008), bonsai master
In 1975, only thirty years after the United States and Japan had been at war, Japan gave 53 priceless bonsai to the United States in celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial. Some bonsai were several hundred years old. One had remarkably survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Bicentennial Bonsai: Emissaries of Peace chronicles this historic gift, includes rare interviews and archival footage, and reveals how we can rediscover our shared humanity and establish a path toward healing and world peace. Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan are a husband-and-wife filmmaking team based in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
EVENING’S SCHEDULE
4:30 – gates to the Bonsai Museum open for after-hours tours*
5:00 – koto music, free sake tastings, and pre-ordered bento boxes in the museum
6:00 – movie screening in the auditorium followed by Q&A with filmmakers
Registration
General Admission: $12.50
NBF, FONA, JASWDC members**: $10
Bento Box (vegan or chicken) pre-order: $20
**Type your discount code into the “Coupon Code” box on the last page of registration and hit “Apply” to see the discount when you check out. NBF, FONA, and JASWDC will be sending discount code information to their members. Contact your organization if you have any questions.
*Due to another event happening at the Arboretum this evening, we recommend you arrive early to find parking.
The horticultural perfection of a bonsai does not have to take decades to accomplish. The chrysanthemum can be artfully shaped into a bonsai within one growing season. Register for a series of five chrysanthemum bonsai classes, beginning on World Bonsai Day, Saturday, May 13th, 2023, and produce a styled, blooming chrysanthemum bonsai by November.
This Bonsai Basics is a course for beginners and intermediates, consisting of five classes beginning May 13 and ending November 4. A maximum of 40 students will meet all together for the first and last class for lectures and demonstrations. In between, students attend three, two-hour classes in small groups of 10 for more intensive teaching by curatorial staff of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.
Participants will learn the basics of watering, wiring, pinching, pruning, potting, and displaying chrysanthemum bonsai. While these principles also apply to bonsai that are traditional woody tree species, using the chrysanthemum allows students to see the results of their pruning, wiring, and other work, within only a few months instead of after years of training. When cared for correctly, these “gnome” species of chrysanthemums, bred for their small flower and leaf size, will bloom heavily in the fall, providing students with an opportunity to present their personally designed,flowering bonsai in an all-group display. This course is offered in partnership with Potomac Bonsai Association and Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society.
Program Prerequisite Requirements:
Participants must be 12 years of age or older and have access to an outdoor growing area with a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun per day.
Course Fee: $150 for all 5 classes
For more details on course materials, schedule and how to register, click here.
National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is pleased to participate in the 13th Annual World Bonsai Day, created by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF). This event honors the memory of Mr. Saburo Kato, a bonsai master and founder of WBFF, who believed that bonsai has the power to unite people by acting as a bridge to international friendship and peace.
The day’s activities will include something for everyone and will happen both in-person at the Museum and online at bonsai-nbf.org/wbd-2023.
DOCENT-LED TOUR | 10 am - 4 pm
Join a free, docent-led tour of the Museum throughout the day. No registration required. Free to the public.
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES | 10 am - 12 pm & 1 pm - 3 pm
There will be a children's activity table located in the Bonsai Museum’s Exhibit Gallery. It is a fun way for children to engage in and learn about Japanese culture and botany. Children and interested adults will have the opportunity to color Japanese themed coloring pages such as koi, pagodas, fans, and ladies in kimonos; stamp leaves onto drawings of bonsai; and try their hands at a variety of origami animals and shapes, such as frogs, cranes, flowers, stars, and boxes. No registration required. Come and go as you’d like within the scheduled times. Free to the public.
CHRYSANTHEMUM BONSAI WORKSHOP | 1 pm - 4 pm
A fee-based series of workshops on chrysanthemum bonsai begins on this day. Learn more here about that series.
FILM SCREENING: BICENTENNIAL BONSAI: EMISSARIES OF PEACE | 4:30 pm - 8 pm
Attend a special after Museum hours event! Enjoy tours, music, sake tastings, bento-boxes and a film screening of BICENTENNIAL BONSAI: EMISSARIES OF PEACE followed by a Q&A with filmmakers. Registration required. More info here.
Bonsai Museum Exhibits Wing, Chinese Pavilion, Lecture Demonstration Center, Vendor Tent
Co-sponsored by the Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA) and the U.S. National Arboretum, this event features a show of PBA member trees and vendors selling bonsai, pre-bonsai, pots, accents and supplies. A juried exhibit of PBA bonsai will be on view in the museum. Free demonstrations will be given by PBA members. There will also be fee-based workshops.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
This exhibit showcases the best bonsai from members of the Potomac Bonsai Association in formal displays. It will be on view for the public during the Potomac Bonsai Festival and will continue through the following weekend and celebration of World Bonsai Day.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Enjoy spring flowers with a Japanese twist! The Washington D.C. Chapter (Chapter 1) of Ikebana International will exhibit flower arrangements representing a variety of ikebana schools and styles. There will be a change-out of the exhibits on April 10 and 13, so plan return visits to see everything. Master teachers will give free ikebana demonstrations on April 8, 9, 15, and 16.
All events are open to the public and are free of charge.
Free Demonstrations: April 8, 9, 15, 16, 1 - 2 pm
Ikebana for Kids Workshop: April 16, 1 -2 :30 pm (Needs prior registration)
Auditorium, Administration Building & Visitor Center
Cost: $20 ($16 for FONA and NBF members)
Since the mid-19th century, appreciation of Japanese flowering cherries has been growing in the United States, melding Japanese aesthetics and techniques with a distinctly American flair. Today, the U.S. National Arboretum stands as a center of American appreciation for Japanese flowering cherry trees, growing about 60 cultivars. The oldest flowering cherry trees on the Arboretum’s grounds were planted in the early 1950s, and these aging trees provide an opportunity for us to experiment with a traditional Japanese method of tree rejuvenation. Noted Japanese expert Kurato Fujimoto will work with our staff for the week preceding this symposium to install traditional-style wooden crutches to support the heavy branches of two old weeping cherry trees. This half-day program will cover the history of Japanese cherry trees in America, ancient cherry trees and restorative practices in Japan, the flowering cherry research program at the Arboretum, and a tree-side presentation of the traditional Japanese support system.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
As he followed the blossoming cherry trees from south to north in Japan, landscape architect Ron Henderson recorded his experience in folding sketchbooks called orihon. His work celebrates the cherry blossom culture in Japan, highlighting his pilgrimages to visit famous old trees. But he also focuses on the horticultural practices that extend the lives of cherry trees in Japan, illustrating pruning techniques, branch crutches, rope tenting, and root grafting. This exhibition of Henderson’s books inspires awe for the trees as well as for the unique manner in which one man documented his journey.
Hop into the Year of the Rabbit with an auspicious visit to the Bonsai Museum. See how many rabbits you can find among the bonsai, kusamono, and viewing stones! This special exhibit will celebrate the transition from winter to spring that Asian cultures traditionally considered the beginning of a new year.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Enjoy a special weekend display of Japanese flower arrangements from one of the oldest traditional schools of ikebana represented locally by the Ikenobo Ikebana Society Metropolitan Washington D.C. Chapter.
Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
November 4, 203 - March 17, 2024
Exhibition Gallery at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
The public is invited to view the once private collection of Chinese Scholars’ Rocks generously donated by noted scholars’ rock collector, Kemin Hu.
This gift doubles the Museum’s viewing stone collection, making it the finest collection of documented Chinese Scholars’ stones in the United States. Hu continues a philanthropic tradition established by her father, Zhaokang Hu.
The exhibit displays a large selection from the Hu gift. Sizes of the stones range from a few inches to almost 5 feet. Besides geological stones, Hu’s gift includes objects of fossil, petrified wood, coral, stalactite, root wood, and ceramics.
Adding to the excitement around this gift, the National Bonsai Foundation, the nonprofit partnering with the U.S. National Arboretum to support the Museum, has captured this collection within an immersive and stunning artbook now available for purchase.
This beautiful, in-depth book, which features the photography of Stephen Voss and elegant writings of Dr. Phillip E. Bloom, details the Chinese stones gifted by noted scholars’ rock expert Kemin Hu.
“A must-have volume for all students of Chinese stone appreciation.”
— Thomas S. Elias, Chairman of the Viewing Stone Association
Chinese scholars’ rocks are stones collected in nature, some naturally occurring and others hand carved or otherwise embellished. The stones often resemble natural landscapes, animals, or evoke nature in some manner. They’ve been described by scholars’ rock expert Dr. Phillip E. Bloom as appearing to…
“...billow like clouds or dance like flames…evoke snow-capped mountains or turbulent seas, ferocious beasts or tranquil vistas.”
The Asian art of collecting, displaying, and appreciating unusual stones is ancient, dating back at least two thousand years. Stone appreciation practice originated in China and spread to Korea and Japan. Much later, the practice was adopted by other countries throughout the world.
These stones have an enormous “wow” factor for people viewing them for the first time. Accompanied by quality interpretative materials, thousands of visitors will begin to understand what these stones represent as well as their importance. With this gift, the U.S. National Arboretum and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum becomes an even greater treasure in the Washington, DC, area.
Located in the Exhibits Wing at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the U.S. National Arboretum. Plan your visit here.
Located at the Exhibits Gallery, Exhibits Wing, with demos in Auditorium at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum. Plan your visit here.
Located in the Exhibits Wing of The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum. Plan your visit here.
Celebrate World Bonsai Day at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum!
In addition to enjoying free, outdoor kids activities and bonsai care demonstrations, why not spend some time mindfully observing and learning to draw bonsai?
World Bonsai Day celebrates peace, friendship, and the beauty of bonsai. Bonsai can seem mysterious to both the admirer of these living works of art and to the practitioner learning the art of shaping a tree. Both admirers and practitioners can benefit from the mindful practice of drawing. Join artist and art educator, Mary Ellen Carsley, in this hour-long in-person workshop to learn fundamental drawing skills and some of the principles that are used to help shape bonsai. New to drawing? Don’t worry! No prior drawing or experience or working with bonsai is necessary. This workshop is focused on the complete beginner, but all levels of experience in the visual arts are welcome. A drawing pad, pencil, and eraser are provided. We will be working together in the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum’s Yuji Yoshimura Lecture and Demonstration Center, rain or shine! All you need is a willing hand, and an open heart to enjoy the practice of drawing to deeply discover the beauty of bonsai.
Saturday, May 14, 2022
11:00 am — 12:00 pm
1:00 pm — 2:00 pm
3:00 pm — 4:00 pm
$30 per session, includes all materials. Advanced registration required.
This event is run by our friends at the Potomac Bonsai Association.
See bonsai artist and nursery owner Mark Fields style a regular juniper tree into a bonsai. This demonstration is free to the public.
At the Visitor Center Auditorium - no registration needed.
This event is part of the Potomac Bonsai Associaton’s Spring Festival.
Come to the Potomac Bonsai Association’s beginner bonsai learning tent outside the Museum to receive one-on-one instruction from experienced club members. Students will learn how to prune, wire, and repot a bonsai they can take home after class.3-hour class. $50 fee (cash or card) per session; all materials provided. No advanced registration required!
Location: Outside the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
This event is part of the Potomac Bonsai Association’s annual spring festival, which takes place from May 6th - 8th. Find a full festival schedule here.
Bonsai Vendor Tent
Friday, May 6th, 12 pm - 4 pm
Saturday and Sunday, May 7th - 8th, 9 am - 4 pm
Outside the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Find everything you need to begin growing bonsai. Twelve vendors from the region will be selling everything from refined bonsai to pre-bonsai material, tools, soil, and planters.
This event is part of the Potomac Bonsai Association’s Spring Festival. Learn more about festival and other events here.
