When recreating the ‘natural’ look in the branch of Hawthorn Bonsai it is important to consider the growth habit of the tree in nature. When we create a bonsai we control the growth and ‘force’ the tree to grow as we wish. Hawthorn in the wild grow in a random fashion (unless they are windswept and the growth is usually in one direction!)

If we were to let our hawthorn bonsai grow in a random fashion then they would look like a shrub with no ‘real’ style or design. So the answer is the create a branch structure that is both controlled yet has a ‘wild’ appearance. Look closely at the branch below and you will notice that the ‘main’ branch is formed in such a way as to support the randomness of the smaller branches however the silhouette remains visually pleasing.