Show me your (Shishi) and I'll show you my (Lions Head)

[Ravaginggoatman]

I picked up this Shishigashira last spring at the Lone Pine Gardens, Sebastopol California. I haven't seen very many examples of Shishi bonsai and I'm really not sure what to do with it. Branching and ramification seems much different than a typical JM. If anyone would like to post pics of their Shishigashira I would love to see them. Also any advice would be great thanks.
The plastic device is a PEX Bend Support used in plumbing, kind of an experiment to see if I can put movement in the branch without wire.

 

[BrightsideB]

It’s still very young. Probably an air layer. If one grew from a cutting that big it would have some bark forming at the base. They don’t seem to grow as quick on their own roots compared to a graft. That could just be my experience though.

Still this is where the magic starts. I don’t have advice on development. I see several ways to take it like most its age. But depends on what you want the outcome to be years from now.

I think @rockm has a nice one as an example of a more mature specimen.

Good luck! I have 3 just growing out from air layers of the mother tree. They can be great small bonsai!

 

[19Mateo83]

@MACH5 has a fantastic little group planting of Shishigashira

Thread 'SHISHIGASHIRA GROUP PLANTING'

Jan 3, 2023

Originally purchased from Brussel's Bonsai in the summer of 2019. This was a three tree composition in which I liked the movement of the main trees but I thought more could be done with this material.

Below is the original bonsai as it appeared on Brussel's website. As offered, the composition faced right.










I decided to create a composition with a greater number of trees. In 2020, I did several air layers to obtain additional trees. By the end of that year I separated all the air layers which now gave me several more trees for the planned...

• MACH5
• Replies: 110
• Forum: Maples

• 
• 

 

[Ravaginggoatman]

It’s still very young. Probably an air layer. If one grew from a cutting that big it would have some bark forming at the base. They don’t seem to grow as quick on their own roots compared to a graft. That could just be my experience though.

Still this is where the magic starts. I don’t have advice on development. I see several ways to take it like most its age. But depends on what you want the outcome to be years from now.

I think @rockm has a nice one as an example of a more mature specimen.

Good luck! I have 3 just growing out from air layers of the mother tree. They can be great small bonsai!

Thank you for the response, yes definitely an air layer, the mother tree has produced many many other trees.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Here's mine

I haven't seen very many examples of Shishi bonsai

Omiya has a few that will be easier to track down and study. There have been a few noteworthy ones a Kouka-en too that I'm sure you can track down on Facebook or instagram.

 

[Ravaginggoatman]

Here's mine

View attachment 605791


Omiya has a few that will be easier to track down and study. There have been a few noteworthy ones a Kouka-en too that I'm sure you can track down on Facebook or instagram.

Wow, that's Amazing!

 

[Dan W.]

Here's mine

View attachment 605791


Omiya has a few that will be easier to track down and study. There have been a few noteworthy ones a Kouka-en too that I'm sure you can track down on Facebook or instagram.

And…. There are a lot of amazing examples on the @kokufu_maples page on IG.
Shishigashira is a favorite in Japan, at least judging by how often it shows up in the Kokufu. I’d say it’s one of, if not the most shown cultivar.

 

[SeanS]

I picked up this Shishigashira last spring at the Lone Pine Gardens, Sebastopol California. I haven't seen very many examples of Shishi bonsai and I'm really not sure what to do with it. Branching and ramification seems much different than a typical JM. If anyone would like to post pics of their Shishigashira I would love to see them. Also any advice would be great thanks.
The plastic device is a PEX Bend Support used in plumbing, kind of an experiment to see if I can put movement in the branch without wire.

The leaves on yours don’t look quite as crinkly and fisted up as mine and other shishis I’ve seen, looks a little like kotohime. The growth habit looks like shishi but the leaves just seem a little too flat and opened up

 

[rockm]

I don't have one. I don't want one Dense growth, etc. makes them special. This link is to Bill Valavanis blog post about a Joe Noga Shishigashira

Refining A Japanese Maple Bonsai By Transplanting

September 2018 Joe Noga has been growing and training his Shishigashira Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira,’ for over 35 years. This dwarf cultivar of Japanese maple has been selected and…

valavanisbonsaiblog.com

 

[shohin_branches]

Here is Shishi Masaru

日本相撲協会公式サイト

入場券や相撲観戦の情報も充実。番付の即日発表や相撲歴史文化等、最新情報提供中。

www.sumo.or.jp

 

[Ravaginggoatman]

The leaves on yours don’t look quite as crinkly and fisted up as mine and other shishis I’ve seen, looks a little like kotohime. The growth habit looks like shishi but the leaves just seem a little too flat and opened up

Yes the leaves on this tree and of course the mother tree that has produced many other trees all have this leaf. Looks more like a typical JM leaf. But the growth characteristics are definitely Shishigasira. I'm not sure but wonder if it has anything to do with male vs female Ojishi (male lion) Meijishi (female lion)

 

[eplov90]

The leaves on yours don’t look quite as crinkly and fisted up as mine and other shishis I’ve seen, looks a little like kotohime. The growth habit looks like shishi but the leaves just seem a little too flat and opened up

Agree that it doesn't look like Shishigashira. Looks more like a Mikawa Yatsabusa to me but we all know you can't really identify an AP cultivar through a picture

 

[MrBonsai19]

Does my stick in a pot count for anything ?

 

[Ravaginggoatman]

I think that we are in the same boat. An air-layered branch trying to become a tree.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Here are mine. Pics from spring 2025 when the leaves were just coming in.

The mother tree has 2 more air layers going right now. The small one was an air layer started in 2023 and removed in 2024.

My plan is to put all the air layered trees together into a planting that emulates @MACH5's beautiful planting, but a smaller version of it.

 

[Ravaginggoatman]

The larger tree in the wood box looks great. Looking forward to seeing all put together. Do you think that its too late to start an air-layer.