Bonsai first appeared in China and were known as pun-sai. This occurred over one thousand years ago. Many legends surround these early Bonsai.
During the late 12th century Japan began the practice of creating Bonsai. The Japanese refined the practice. At the beginning Bonsai was practiced only by Buddhist monks. Then it was introduced to the aristocracy as a symbol of honor.
Bonsai were displayed indoors on special occasions and on specially designed shelves. The Bonsai themselves were no longer just gathered in the wild. They were trimmed to their essential elements.
Late 18th century Bonsai become common among not only the elite but also the general public of Japan. This raised the demand for trees from the wild. And resulted in the different styles of Bonsai trees and their presentation.
In mid 19th century Japan opened itself to the world of commerce. Now Bonsai became known around the world. Exhibitions were undertaken around the world to show of these miniature trees.
You could no longer count on finding a tree acceptable for Bonsai in the wild. So artists began to train the miniature trees into Bonsai.
Now this is common practice and the types of trees used for Bonsai has grown.