Japanese Maple

Orange-brown lion’s mane

Japanese maples are multi-stemmed shrubs or small trees. Contrary to what its name might imply, it can be found growing in the wild across North and South Korea, eastern Mongolia and southeastern Russia. With its fan-shaped crown, this tree can reach heights of 10 m but it can also be grown as bonsai. The leaves are lobed, sometimes deeply incised, and in autumn turn orange or purple-red. Some cultivars have leaves that are purple-red after unfurling and stay that colour throughout the summer. Like many other maples the Japanese maple prefers moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soil.

There are over one thousand different cultivars with ‘Shishigashira’ being an old cultivar from Japan. The Japanese name refers to the leaves resemblance a lion’s mane as they curl and turn orangey brown in autumn.