On The Lookout For Yamadori in the North Dakota Badlands

Photos I took of yamadori junipers along a trail in the Badlands in 2021

 

 

Sometimes we encounter things that we have a love for without realizing that it has a name and a whole cultural tradition behind them. Yamadori is the name from the Japanese Bonsai tradition for plants created in nature that have qualities sought in bonsai. They are often twisted and miniaturized by the conditions found in their natural environment. As a state with ample wind and weather extremes, it should be a good place to find Yamadori in the landscape. While South Dakota and Wyoming seem to have a Yamadori tradition, a brief search of the internet has not found one in North Dakota. The beautiful Yamadori below was from nearby Wyoming. I have mixed feelings about digging out centuries old trees, but in light of climate change, it may be the only way some of them survive.

Sometimes they are gathered from nature, but just as commonly, they are enjoyed in situ for their inherent aesthetic qualities. The North Dakota Badlands, with its wind-whipped junipers, has Yamadori is abundance, and I will look at them with a new light next time I hike. If I dig, I could find more photos that I have taken of poignant trees in the landscape. I found the one below by doing a quick search.

A tiny oak typical of the type found on the tree covered sand plains of north east North Dakota. I took this photo while elk hunting there in 2010.