1) It's not a maple (Acer). Looks much more like a Koelreuteria paniculata, aka goldenrain tree.

2) Sparse leaf development is most likely due to insufficient light, if it was previously grown under similar circumstances. I'd train the center stem upwards with a bamboo stake and cut back the extraneous side shoots to obtain a more tree like form. But it is going to be dwarfed by container growth and will always be lanky and underleafed if grown in mostly shade.

Thanks for the answer. It's leaves do look similar to the goldenrain tree, but it has never made any of the fruits I just saw when googling the tree. The tree has all always been in direct sunlight (from bout midday to sunset)....

I will move my message to an non-maple area and see if any else has more suggestions.

Cheers!

Fruits would not be produced without flowers and that tree does not look mature enough to produce flowers. Often, trees restricted to smallish containers (compared to mature, free growing sizes) are slower to achieve flowering maturity if they do at all.

The best way to save that tree is to get it planted in the ground.

Judging from the picture, the ground is a long way down.
It's a tough tree. I would put it in a larger pot with good potting soil if you can't get it into the ground.
Mike

It's severely root bound, which is why the growth is concentrated at meristems.

If you wish to save the tree, you should saw off the bottom 1/3 of the roots and cut vertical slits in the root mass at 3-4" intervals now, and pot up until spring '13. Before bud movement in spring, do a full repot, which will include correcting the root problems that are surely limiting the tree and will continue to do so until corrected. Potting up will simply ensure a brief return to something slightly closer to normal growth, followed by continued decline. Repotting will restore the tree to full potential.

Al