Large leaf size and long internodes on A. Rubrum...

[Trenthany]

These are about full size... just massive!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Yes. It is to my understanding that red maples look best when defoliated annually.
Is this of a tree in the ground or potted maple?

 

[just.wing.it]

I have a few that I'm getting started.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

These were all grown from seeds from the same parent tree

It is going to take a while before we go through sufficient generations of the selection process and arrive at a strain that has qualities that are more appropriate for bonsai... or somebody might get lucky and stumble across one

It is true that there already are a few nice bonsai specimen out there and people have found strategies for dealing with bad or uncoperative genetics (and there are some very nice old ones in Japan as well). But i think we haven’t yet seen the best that Acer rubrum has to offer.

I personally love the fact that they flower on leafless branches like Ume

 

[Viridian Bonsai]

(and there are some very nice old ones in Japan as well). But i think we haven’t yet seen the best that Acer rubrum has to offer.

Are you referring to the closely related Acer pycnanthum, hananoki (ハナノキ)? Its common name in English is Japanese Red Maple. I’ve seen a few of these as bonsai on Instagram and they looked quite impressive in flower! I believe that Acer pycnanthum is in Acer sect. rubra along with Acer rubrum.

I would definitely be interested in purchasing a small leafed, short internoded Acer rubrum cultivar from you in the future. In the meantime, I started a couple hundred seeds this year searching for a small leafed individual after I was inspired by seeing your Facebook post a couple years back.