Acer palmatum Shishigashira - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Shishi-gashira' is a unique variety of Japanese Maple with its small crisped foliage and upright bonsai-like habit. It is a small tree with a very compact and dense habit, and its green foliage turns absolutely remarkable shades of red in autumn, offering a fantastic show for several weeks at the end of the season. Another major asset of this variety is its ease of cultivation, both in the ground and in pots. Plant this Japanese maple in any good garden soil that remains moist in summer. It will tolerate any non-burning exposure and even shade.

Native to eastern China, Korea, and Japan, Acer palmatum is the origin of a multitude of horticultural varieties that compete in beauty. The Japanese palmate maple belongs to the Sapindaceae family. It is relatively hardy, but fears dry and cold winds and does not tolerate overly dry and chalky soils well.

The slow-growing 'Shishi-gashira' cultivar develops over time into a bushy, erect habit, reaching about 2 m (6.6 ft) in height and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in spread. This small tree has reddish-brown bark on young branches and develops particularly dense deciduous foliage. Carried by short petioles, its small crisped 5-lobed leaves are tightly packed along the branches. They are tender green in spring and darken in summer. In autumn, multiple colours are present on the foliage at the same time: red, orange, and yellow. This autumn foliage remains attached to the plant for a long time before falling. The inconspicuous but charming flowering takes place in May-June. The flowers, red-purple in colour, are grouped in small clusters and sometimes produce winged fruits called samaras, 3 cm (1.2 in) long. This variety is disease-resistant.

The compact, unusual, and sculptural Acer palmatum 'Shishi-gashira' deserves a prominent place at the entrance of the garden, along a path, or in a large pot on a terrace to enjoy its beautiful bonsai-like silhouette and astonishing foliage throughout the year. It is suitable for small gardens with a Japanese, contemporary, exotic style. Plant alongside low-growing shrubs with colourful foliage such as Nandina 'Fire Power', perennials like ferns, azaleas, heathers, or dark-leaved heucheras. It can also be trained as a magnificent flat-topped bonsai. Combine several varieties of Japanese maples to vary the colours and structures of the foliage; the effect is always dazzling at the end of the season.