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Botanical name: Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’
An unusual, bold addition to the garden; deeply curled and crinkled bright green leaves are held in close knit bunches, adding interest; develops its fall color much later in the season than most other varieties, prefers a sheltered location.
| Hardiness zone | 5b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | burgundy |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 20 feet |
| Spread | 15 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Lions Head Japanese Maple has attractive green foliage which emerges red in spring. The crinkled palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of gold and crimson in the fall. It features subtle corymbs of burgundy flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring before the leaves. It produces red samaras from early to mid fall. The rough gray bark and red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Lions Head Japanese Maple is an open deciduous tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Lions Head Japanese Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Shade, Mass Planting
Lions Head Japanese Maple will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
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