Shishigashira maple

Shishigashira (literally "lion's head" or "lion's mane") is one of the most distinctive Japanese maple cultivars and one of the most prized for bonsai. The defining feature is the foliage — leaves are smaller than standard Acer palmatum (typically 3–5cm), deeply divided into five narrow lobes, and characteristically curled and crinkled rather than flat. Combined with a naturally short-internode growth habit that clusters foliage on stubby shoots, the cultivar develops dense rounded foliage pads almost without intervention.

The habit is naturally upright and slow-growing. A 20-year-old Shishigashira will be smaller and more compact than a 20-year-old base palmatum, which makes it ideal for medium and small bonsai. The slow growth is a real consideration when buying — material develops trunk girth more slowly than vigorous cultivars, and "growing on" young Shishigashira to substantial trunk size takes decades. Most quality Shishigashira bonsai material is either imported from Japan as already-developed stock or has been grown by patient UK enthusiasts over many years.

Autumn colour is reliably gold-orange to deep red. The cultivar holds its leaves slightly later than base palmatum and the colour transition is often spectacular.

Daily through the growing season. Shishigashira shares Japanese maple's sensitivity to drying — the small clustered leaves desiccate quickly in dry conditions and leaf scorch is permanent for the year once it occurs.

In hot summer weather, twice daily for trees in shallow pots. Position in partial shade with morning sun and afternoon protection — full afternoon sun in midsummer scorches the curled leaf edges noticeably.

In winter, regular but reduced watering. Rainwater preferred where available.

Weekly half-strength liquid feed from late April through to mid-September. Slow-release organic pellets in spring and early summer.

Shishigashira responds to feeding more conservatively than vigorous cultivars — heavy feeding produces uncharacteristically long internodes and loses the compact habit that makes the cultivar valuable. Restrained feeding suits the cultivar better.

Stop feeding by mid-September.

Free-draining and slightly acidic. Standard Japanese maple substrate.

Repot every 2–3 years on young trees, every 3–4 on mature specimens. The window is mid-February through to early April — repot as buds swell.

Shishigashira tolerates moderate root work — up to a third of the root mass on healthy trees. The cultivar's naturally slow growth means it's less forgiving of aggressive root work than vigorous cultivars; be conservative.

The cultivar's naturally compact habit reduces but doesn't eliminate pruning work. The challenge is preserving the dense clustered character while preventing the inner growth from becoming congested.

Structural pruning in late winter (February). Through the growing season, allow new shoots to extend to 3–4 leaves then cut back to 2 — slightly less than for base palmatum, reflecting the cultivar's shorter natural extension. Pinch every two to three weeks in vigorous areas.

Thin the dense foliage pads in midsummer by removing some leaves from the interior — Shishigashira's natural density can shade out inner buds and lose interior branching. Selective leaf-thinning maintains air and light penetration.

Defoliation works on healthy trees and produces dramatically refined second-flush foliage. Use every two to three years rather than annually — the cultivar takes longer to recover than vigorous cultivars.

Wire after leaves harden in early summer or on bare branches in winter. The cultivar's short-internode habit makes major bends less necessary than on long-extending cultivars. Aluminium for almost all work.

Wire scars on Shishigashira bark fade slowly but the slow-growing nature means wire can stay on longer without biting in. Check monthly during active growth.

Broom style suits the cultivar's habit. Informal upright is the natural fit. Compact rounded compositions read as natural on Shishigashira because that's essentially how the cultivar wants to grow. Twin-trunk and clump styles work well.

Cascade, semi-cascade, and literati don't suit the upright clustered growth habit. Resist styling against the cultivar's character — Shishigashira styled as cascade looks contrived.

Hardy across most of the UK with no protection needed. The cultivar shares base palmatum's mid-range hardiness — fine in most of England and Wales, may benefit from light shelter in Scotland and exposed northern positions during severe winters.

The dense foliage pads can collect leaf litter through autumn — sweep regularly to prevent fungal issues on retained leaves.

Never bring indoors.

Always grafted. Cuttings rarely succeed. From seed produces plants that don't resemble the parent. Air layering works on established grafted plants and is a route to own-root specimens that some growers prefer.

Generally healthy. The cultivar's slow growth and dense foliage create some specific issues but inherits most of base palmatum's vulnerabilities.