Tree 1, 2, and 3 are images of a bonsai grown from seed. 1 is a yearling, 2 is an 6 year old tree and 3 is about 15 years old.
Tree a, b, and c are images of a similar bonsai, but grown from a stump. A is a 8 year old stump. B is about 5 years after that, so 13 years. C is about 10 years later, at about 23 years. That is 15 years in training.
Of course, one buys the stump and starts from there. So making a bonsai from stump takes no more time to grow a tree, but the end result is larger. Larger trunk, larger roots, larger impression of treeness.
