The art of growing bonsai trees has been a centuries old tradition in Japan where scientists and engineers have now thought to merge this ancient art form with technology as they revealed floating miniature bonsai plants that can be purchased through Kickstarter known as Hoshinchu Air Bonsai Garden.

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This bonsai atelier is based on the southern island of Kyushu in Japan, where the floating plants apparently grow from a ball of moss where the workshop calls this "little star". This new breakthrough plant is known as the "kokedama" in Japanese or Air Bonsai where this ingenious moss ball helps the plant absorb all the essential nutrients for it to flourish, allowing creative gardeners and bonsai enthusiasts to experiment with this new type of bonsai.

However, the lingering question here is how does this "little star" float in mid-air? Scientists reveal how magnets are embedded into the moss ball that enables it to suspend in mid-air, some two centimeters above the base. The base is also equipped with its own magnet which is powered by its AC adapter.

Apart from the unique moss ball, the basic starter kit includes a simple base and a fabric cushion. The bases are also hand-crafted and made from porcelain, which exudes more elegance, for a higher price. Unfortunately, living plants cannot be exported from Japan where these Air Bonsai sets will be shipped from the country without any Japanese grown bonsai. To date, the atelier is coordinating with partners who are plant growers in the United States to supply local pine trees.

Bonsai enthusiasts are looking forward to this kind of technology however, these floating plants also include their own challenges as watering them will be a feat, as scientists recommend to remove the plant in mid-air for this, where the magnetic base is also needed to be plugged in for the air bonsai to function.

The real challenge however, is to keep this air bonsai alive, since bonsai trees are known to be difficult to maintain as they require careful techniques and precise methods when it comes to trimming, wiring, defoliation and grafting.

The Hoshinchu Air Bonsai Garden campaign on Kickstarter will end on March 1 however, it has now collected almost US $400,000 in pledges that successfully surpassed their $80,000 goal. This "little star" is soon to sweep the gardening industry with this floating craze and even encourage those who do not possess the green thumb to care for these floating plants.