Kusamono demonstration by Young Choe

Young Choe is a kusamono artist who studied traditional art in her native Korea before moving to the United States and earning her BS in horticulture from the University of Maryland. While volunteering at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, she brought her artistic talent together with her knowledge of horticulture to create kusamono. As her interest developed, Young traveled to Japan to study the unique art form with the master kusamono artist, Keiko Yamane, a former student of Saburo Kato. She worked for many years with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the U.S. National Arboretum. Young is considered a leader in the field and enjoys conducting workshops and lectures nationally as well as internationally.

Young Choe

Kusamono refers to a Japanese botanical art that developed alongside bonsai. Kusamono are potted arrangements of wild grasses and flowers in unique pots or trays selected to suggest a season or place. The name is composed of two Japanese characters– “grass” and “thing”—which together suggest humble, everyday plants. Originally, this name referred to the small, potted grasses displayed next to bonsai as accent plants. More recently, creating Kusamono has developed into an art form of its own. A well-chosen kusamono reflects the season in which it is displayed. Some compositions are designed to include plants that will look good in several seasons. Besides the season, a Kusamono should suggest a specific natural habitat, such as a wetland, meadow, or woodland. Whether using a single plant or a group of plants, there are three basic styles of planting: moss-ball, out-of-pot, or in a container.

As always…

Bring a tree to the meeting if you have questions about it.  Members are always encouraged to bring personal trees to the meetings for advice on care or styling from our many club artists.

Meetings are held on the first Wednesday (or the 2nd Wednesday if immediately preceded by a holiday)  from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The College of Dupage campus in the TEC 1038b.

The college address is 425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Members who are unable to attend in person may join via ZOOM.