I collected some Vine Maple seeds this fall and then dug up a few Big Leaf Maple seedlings (among the hundreds on our property) and started a few indoors last month. The Big Leaf already lives up to it’s name and is insanely vigorous. The Vines have been a little more tentative. I plan to transplant the Vines at some point but think I’ll leave the Big Leaf in the pot and see how much we can dwarf it.
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I applaud anyone that is working on a Big Leaf Maple bonsai. Looks like such a fun challenge.
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if you want any trunk girth you should put the Big Leaf Maple in the ground. 
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I’ve got one thicker trunk I dug up two years ago (1 of 2 that survived) and two more that we’re broke off during this year’s winter storm that I’ll dig up next year. They’ll never be “bonsai” trees but it will be interesting to see what we can make of them. They’re amazingly resilient and almost impossible to kill with so much photosynthetic energy they get from those massive leaves.
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“Never be bonsai trees” ?
Come on, You know almost any tree can be bonsai with time and patience.
I see potential with that potted maple.
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That’s why I used quotes around “bonsai.” I guess I should have said, “traditional bonsai.” But personally, I’m liking non-traditional designs and species more and more.
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