Yeah, I know, I’m a plant geek, but how can you not appreciate a plant this beautiful and this unique. I’ve had this Lion’s Head Japanese Maple in my landscape for about 7 years now and I really, really like it. I sit on the porch and just take in it’s beauty and uniqueness all the time.
And . . . I found some the other day for $14.00 each! You can bet I’ll be placing that order. I’ve got about 10 of these in my nursery but I need more. I have an obligation to make plants like this available to customers in my local area.
More photos of the Lion’s Head Japanese Maple.
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple
I took these photos the end of October, so these are fall colors.
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple Fall Color
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple Fall Color
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple Fall Color
The two pictures you see below I took about two weeks after I took the above photos. That’s how many times this interesting little tree changes colors throughout the season.
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple Fall Color
More details about the Lion’s Head Japanese maple and other beautiful Japanese Maples? Visit my Japanese Maple site; JapaneseMapleLovers.com
I see that the latest comment here is from nine years ago; the Lion’s Head is probably much less rare now than it was then, or at least it’s not that hard to find small trees at nurseries here in the PNW. I have two, which interestingly are a very different shape, more vertical and taller than Mike’s and with two main diverging branches. As for the cost, these could well be considered a long-term financial investment. I saw a ten year old tree being sold for $2,500 and, at a nursery near Eugene OR, a 25+ year old tree going for over $10,000! But they’re slow growing, so it’s best just to buy them just for their autumn beauty.
I have a beautiful Shishigashira that is 6′ tall. I live in SW Washington state and these are very hard to find around here. I appreciate all your information on Japanese Maples!
Mona,
Beautiful trees! I have a few in the nursery and they are slow growing, thus the price.
Hi Mike,
I have Japanese Maples in my yard and all the leaves have turned from red to dead and falling off. I don’t know what kind they are but I’m afraid they are dying. We just planted them in the spring and the leaves have been dying and falling off for about 3 months. Any suggestions? I live in SC.
I love Japanese Maples. Great fall color
looks cool
does it need a lot of sun!
I have a place to plant it but it is on the souh side of the house within my courtyard.
Holly grows just fine and makes berries, too.
In that spot.
rsvp
Nina, that location should be fine. Since Lion’s Head is green and not read or variegated, it will do fine in a semi shaded area.
Love the look of that tree!
Wow! This is a beauty! I have to say, reading through these comments, that it really bugs me that folks read your posts and soak up your awesome FREE info, then comment that you should send them your plants for free too!!! Ok, done venting.
I can’t wait to be a Backyard Grower! Going to buy your program as soon as i get back to work. Soaking up all your great posts in the meantime…THANKS for sharing!!
Julie, your comments are truly appreciated. Get they system, http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm, there’s a whole new world awaiting you out there. There’s a lot to the system that I don’t, or can’t discuss here.
Mike,
It is beautiful!!! Please give us a sneak peek of your beautiful yard, too. I need some ideas for next spring. 🙂 And say Hi to Pam…
GREAT!!!!
J J
What zones do Japanese Maples grow in? We’re in zone 4 and a lot of them that I see in catalogs are not zoned for zone 4.
Marlys, most are good down to zone 5. Zone 4 is more risky for them.
Wow they are so lovely
Mike
Instead of showing great pictures of the Lions Head Japanese Maple, why don’t you sell me a small one.I have loved and been involved with Japanese Maples since I was in my 70’s awhile back.
Alex
Hey Mike, Great plant,but I got side tracked on some links to some of your members web pages.It really inspired me more after seeing what some of the neighbors are doing.Im sure I can do it too.So far I have been buying plants for my stock .Named properly. That was my first mistake.So I had to start over.Ty Mike for what you do.
Thanks Mike, great video!
I’ve got an old stock tank that leaks and I’m turning it into a plant propagation box to root hardwood cuttings. Thanks for the inspiration.
Mr Mike
I live in zone 7 it might get to hot this far south.I have a Japanese Red Maple and it is growing slow.So what do I need to plant that would grow good this far down and how can I find them.I need something that I can take cuttings from.I joined your backyardnursery a long time ago,but i am not on the message board.I need help getting started with some plants that grow good.Thanks
Ronnie, almost all Japanese maples do really well in zone 7. If yours is growing slow it’s probably in poor soil. They like soil that is really well drained. Most clay soils are too sticky for them. They’ll survive, but not thrive. Keep in mind, it’s a lot easier to make money with plants that are easier to propagate and grow fast compared to Japanese maples. We use Japanese maples to attract customers who like to buy all of our plants.
Mike, you talked about using seedlings as root stock. will any generic Acer seedling work, or do the seedlings of certain cultivars do better than others? Or, are there certain combinations of rootstock and scion stock that work better together?
Stephen,
When grafting a Japanese maple most are from the acer palmatum family. So you have to graft the acer palmatum scions (cuttings) onto an acer palmatum seedling. Acer palmatum being just a generic Japanese maple seedling. So the short answer to your question is no, you can use just any acer, like silver maple, sugar maple etc. It has to be in the Japanese maple family of acer palmatum.
I don’t understand. When it gets down to 20 below zero. why don’t these cuttings freeze solid and every cell in the cutting burst.
Charles, there are a lot of things about plants that I don’t understand as well. But the branches on the trees somehow manage extreme cold temperatures as well and do just fine. Of course 20 below is pretty cold, but 10 above zero is plenty cold and plants do fine.
Mike !!!! Please. How can I get the Japanese Maple- Lion Head? Can I grow it in Zimbabwe? There are also interesting unusual rose colors in your pictures? I want to introduce them in my nursery. Thank you.
Cathrine.
cool looking tree…a litle cold here for most Japanese maples….zoon 3….
Mike, would you give us the name of the nursery where you got the Lion’s Head Japanese Maple? Do they ship to North Florida?
Evelelyn, The nurseries that I buy from only sell to members of the trade. In my system, http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm, I explain to people what they must do to qualify as a member of the trade. Our members often offer Japanese maples for sale at really good wholesale prices as well.
It is a beautiful tree. I have three J. maples which we’ve had for about 5 years but I’ll need to keep my eyes open for this one. I am in California and sometimes it gets just too hot. I love your posts. Thank you.
Nice color and I Iike the size.
Very nice i was not familar with this plant but now i will have to look at purchasing one when i can
Womdering what zone this lovely plant can survive in
Also- not all plants bloom immediately. What is the maturation cycle
,
Elaine, best zones for the Lion’s Head Japanese Maple are probably zone 5 through zone 8.
Shishigashira Maple can grow well in about 48 U.S. states. It grows in semi-shade, cold climates and warm and is a very slow grower suitable for bonsai.
Susan,
I had several of them here in Ohio and they did fine for years. But then the last two years it got really cold and they did not fair well at all. The one you see here suffered a great deal of damage, but it is hanging on. I honestly don’t think they can be trusted below zone 5. Might be fine for a few years and in all honesty, if I were in a colder zone I’d be willing to take that chance.
I am from Slovenia. I have this maple shishigashira (lion’s head). I have a lot of maples in my garden but this one is absolutely the special one. Especially now in november with his red colour. But it’s very expensive. Peace from Europe
that is surely a big impact in a small package. I have not seen that variety in catalogs or in the nurserys out here in this area. But the cost of $14.00 is a good price. Have gotten seeds off yours? Can you grow it from seed? I have some red maple seeds and will try to grow a crop of them. This lions main would require some patients but it is pretty!
Casey, I have seen this Lion’s Head Japanese Maple in garden centers around here priced at $350 to $400, so $14.00 is a steal even for a small plant.
Will it grow from seed? Probably not true to the parent plant which is the case with most trees and shrubs. When you grow a plant from seed you get the most generic version of the species. But the seedlings make a good root stock to graft on to. I’ll do a grafting video this winter.
Would this tree grow in a harsh desert in Phoenix?
Od, it probably would not be happy there. Like all deciduous plants it needs to go dormant in the winter. Unlike many Japanese Maples this one does have green leaves that hold up in the sun pretty well, but desert sun? Not sure about that.
How about rhododendrons? similar method?
I have 2 rhododendron plants from a friend who got them out of Michigan. (He doesn’t recall what nursery they came from – nor what variety they are.) They’ve been hardier then any others I’ve planted over the past 10-15 years. My wife grew up near Phili PA… and want’s BIG Roddies like they had around their house there… Told her that’ll never happen here in this area with this climate and soil, even though I amended it; but I persist 😉 Because these 2 plants continue to outlive all others I’ve tried over the years… wonder if I might propagate more from them? Both my grandfathers were avid gardeners, I grew up on our NE Iowa family farm & taught VoAg/FFA before going to fly for the USAF… and retiring here near Wright-Patterson AFB. Folks can’t believe all the stuff I grow and over-winter… but have not tried hardwood propagation yet. Your suggestions.. Thanks much! Appreciate your many tips!
Bruce, couple of things you should know. Yes, you can propagate Rhododendrons. However, the two that you have are unnamed so you could never propagate them to offer for sale since you don’t know the variety. But for your own use, full speed ahead!
Rhododendrons root best when done during the winter over bottom heat. The growing medium is kept at 68 to 70 degrees, but the tops are kept cooler, below 50 degrees for sure so they don’t break dormancy and start leafing out. I wrote this a long time ago about bottom heat: http://www.freeplants.com/bottomheat.htm. Wait until the plants have seen temperatures well below freezing for several hours before you take the cuttings.
You can also root them during the summer in a system like this http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm I’d try some both ways.
anything like this that will grow in Northern Minnesota?
LouAnne, I wish I could say yes, but not that I am aware of. I’d visit a local arboretum and see what they have growing that is really nice.
You can grow “Korean Maples” in Minnesota, they’re a little hardier. I have some in zone 3 and in zone 4
Very nice. Another one for my list of must haves.
Mike that is such a cool tree, I truely have never heard of this tree. I want one, small but yet it make a Big showing. I will be getting one.
I live in southern CA. Can I grow this?
Hai/its really beautiful. but we do not have these plants in INDIA……………so just enjoing your plants n vidios.
If you can , I would like to purchase 1 from you. Live in DC, climate 7.
Miss T, I only sell locally but check with our other growers. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/category/backyard-nurseries/#
hey, kool, not many leaves to rake
I’ve been looking for something like this for the past year. I love the Japanese Maple but all I seen are the ones that grow high. The guy across the street has a minature and its about 3 feet tall.
Let me know where I can get these. I would like to get 2 for my front lawn. Thanks I really appreciate all the good emails you send me.
Julie, there are a lot of Japanese maples that do not grow upright at all. The most common are in the dissectum family of Japanese maples. Good info here: http://japanesemaplelovers.com/ You can also check with our Backyard Growers, many of them have a pretty good selection of Japanese Maples. I show them where to get the best deals! https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/category/backyard-nurseries/#
Hey, I have one of those and didn’t know it’s name. Thanks for all the great pictures and sharing your knowledge of the plant world.
Hi,
If your giving away rooted cuttings, I would like them too. I really like the Lion Head Maple.
Thank you
I think I have this same plant. I have planted it under some tall Evergreen trees, do you think that will hurt it?
How do you take care of it for winter. I am in Michigan. Zone 5
Thanks Carole
Carloe, I’m in northern, Ohio zone 5 and I don’t do a thing for mine over the winter. They do just fine for me. I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of Japanese maples growing in the field. No winter protection.
send me a rooted cutting!!! Thanks.
You can only graft them.
nice tree we just made our garden bigger well it get bigger every year thank for all the info you put up here have a good day
Dana, it does put on about 4″ of new growth each year. We trim all of that new growth so the tree stays tight and compact. So ours really only gains about 2″ per year.
I bought the plant growing system some 3 years ago but never did anything with it. I am confused on how to really get started. Do I have to pay each mo for a website?
I am looking to get started on earning some real money on a at home business, work not going so well.
Please Mike contact me back.
Lana
Lana, I have a new book and DVD that just came out this summer. Contact our office, let them know you are an existing customer and need help getting started. Ask about the book and DVD, they’ll give you the member price on that. [email protected]
According to my google, the zone on these trees run 6-8. Will this tree do well in my zone 5?
Vera, I’m in zone 5, north Ohio and mine do fine.
how hardy are these trees, in what zone can they tolerate a winter?
Paul, most Japanese maples, including this one, are good down to about zone 5. Most do well in zone 5. Anything colder than zone 5 is really risky.
Beautiful! What are the growth specs on this beauty? How fast and how large will it grow? Thank you for all the inspiration and encouragement you send out!
Mary, It’s a very slow grower. Just a few inches per year.
Where can I get one of these Lion’s Head Japanese Maples? I really want one.
Barbara, check with our backyard grower closest to you. They do have access to these trees on the wholesale market. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/category/backyard-nurseries/#
That’s why we need more backyard growers, to meet the demands of folks like you. http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm
Very nice!
I really like this plant .. I have never seen or heard about it before. IF I can get ahold of some {1} how do I propagate it????
And how long does it take to grow?
Thanks, M.E.
M.E., the Lion’s Head Japanese Maple, like most other Japanese Maples, are propagate by grafting. A cutting (known as a scion) is grafted to a Japanese Maple seedling. I am going to do a grafting video later this winter.
Such a pretty tree. I just love all of your posts! Thanks
Where can I buy them?
Thanks
Carlos, check with our Backyard Growers. Many of them have a lot of different Japanese maples. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/category/backyard-nurseries/#
I typed acer, I meant maple, sorry.
John, it’s in the acer family. Acer palmatum.
That is a beautiful acer, will look out for it.
Thanks Mike.
This is a beautiful tree. How tall does it get? Thanks for sharing.
BJ, I guess that depends on how long you have. I’ve seen them 7 or 8 feet tall, but mine has been in my landscape for 7 years and is less than 30″. That’s part of the mystique of this little tree.
Beautiful tree! I’ll be searching for that one to add to my collection.
Mike, you have almost convinced me that I need to do Japanese Maples,LOL.
Only problem is that I need to get some kind of nursery going. It is coming together slowly, thanks to you and the BYG group.
Is it just me??? The video comes up at the one to train weeping redbuds, not the lionhead Jap. maple
Would this lion’s head maple grow down in Louisiana?
Kurt, It might with some shade. We have a member in Georgia that is doing really well with Japanese maples.
They are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen
Very pretty.
I have a Lion’s Head maple, too, and it IS a very cool tree! I love the crispy, curly leaves – just wish it grew faster. My tree is only 2′ tall and it’s about 4 years old.