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Also known as 'Cristatum', 'Crispum' and 'Ribescifolium'. A very compact little blob of green, that has remained a very compact little blob of green. I was hoping for yellow/gold autumn colour that never materialised. Fortunately it does have good years for colour. The bright orange-red colour was short lived, but spectacular. Gordon Harris says: "The compact stubby growth of this clone makes it quite unusual among cultivars of Acer palmatum but a popular plant for the garden. The bright green leaves are palmate in shape but curled up at the end giving a crinkled appearance to the plant. There are good specimens at Batsfield Park and Westonbirt Arboretum but whilst these plants are many years old their origin is not known. Those at Batsford Park have made small trees about 3.6m tall (12ft)." Trees and Shrubs online says: "Leaves to about 2 in. long and wide, dark green, five-lobed, deeply incised, often folded upward along the midrib. Owing to the shortness of the twigs and internodes, the foliage occurs in bunches. Habit fastigiate. A very picturesque maple for a special position. Wrongly known as ‘Cristatum’ or ‘Crispum’ on the continent." Mr Maple says: "'Shishigashira' is a very unique upright green Japanese maple cultivar. The deep green leaves are crinkled with compact branching that adds to the amazing architectural shape of the tree. The growth habit is very dense branching with a widening effect midway up on mature trees. The color of this Japanese maple in early spring is a deep green and it holds this color very well throughout the entire summer. In the autumn ‘Shishigashira’ puts on an amazing show of deep yellows and golden shades with hints of red and orange. This cultivar is often referred to as Lion’s Head in America but a more literal translation refers to the head of a specific female lion character in Japanese drama. When witnessing the amazing fall spectrum on this Japanese maple it is easy to see how this majestic look has become associated with a lion’s mane. 'Shishigashira' grows well in sun or shade though we have noticed the tree consistently grows larger in filtered light. The height of Lionshead can reach 8-12 ft over time. The Lion's Head is a favorite in the bonsai trade for its unique growth habit and is also an excellent Japanese maple tree for container growing for a porch or patio." |
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