Look at my list! Here is a link that might be useful: Trade list

Well, years ago it was a multi-trunked specimen (three trunks). DH removed all the landscape fabric from the bed that the previous owners put down (I *detest* that stuff!) and unfortunately ripped out a very large amount of surface roots along with the fabric. Next spring, two trunks were toast. It's survived all these years since then, but I noticed that the bark is missing from one side of the tree - perhaps lightening, perhaps animal damage, not really sure. The leaves do not look diseased at all - the remaining branches look perfectly normal and very healthy. I could go with something like a Thundercloud plum just to be on the safe side. I really want a red-foliaged tree in this spot. The plum is not a small tree, but certainly isn't a huge one, either - I think it would fit fine (but a "Bloodgood" Jap. maple would be better)

Oh, and are there any suitable varieties of bamboo for this purpose that would quickly reach, but not exceed, 8-10 feet?

Thanks!!! You guys have really been helpful. I believe the dwarf my brother & fiance have is the Acer palmatum dissectum. And I believe the one I just purchased is the Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'. Of course this is just me guessing. So far neither my brothers nor my fiances are seed bearing, what a bummer - I had hopes for a free seed! The one I just purchased came from a seed bearing parent but I'm still at a loss for its mature age. So as I read your link gardengal it seems we all probably have monoecious trees and none will ever bear viable seeds since none are very near another JR maple. What I am understanding is that with these particular varieties I would need two trees; a young monoecious one that would be female and a more mature monoecious one that would be male. But without the mature age of these trees I wouldn't know where to begin. So the hopes of owning a fertile seed bearer are pretty much shot :( . However, the seeds I have been given sound like the Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' and were picked two days ago. I'm not sure if I should attempt to grow them since I don't think they were/are ripe. But I guess there's no harm in seeing what happens.