Shari

Shari is deadwood carved into the trunk of a bonsai rather than on an individual branch, mimicking the scarring seen on very old trees that have survived lightning strikes, storm damage or years of exposure. A well-placed shari can make a young tree read as decades older, which is why it shows up often on juniper and pine bonsai styled in dramatic, weathered forms.

Carving shari means removing a strip of bark and cambium down the trunk while leaving enough live vascular tissue on the opposite side to keep the tree healthy. This is more consequential than jin work because it happens on the trunk itself, so growers usually plan the width and path of a shari carefully and work gradually over more than one season rather than cutting it all at once.

As with jin, the exposed wood is typically treated with lime sulfur to bleach and preserve it. The biggest risk with shari is removing too much live tissue in one go and weakening the tree, so it is generally attempted on species and trees with an established, vigorous root system rather than on stock still recovering from repotting.