First, I must correct you anatomical mistakes. Leaves, at least on Acer do not bear the flowers. On Acer they are born on the stems before leaves emerge. Generally 'Blood good' flowers less than others. With the "warm" winter that we have had it is not surprising that there are even fewer flowers this year.

Acer flowers are often born at the tips of the branches. It is evolutionarily more adventitious for the flowers and then the seed to be further away from the trunk to ensure higher germination. Then the dispersal mechanism is the wind which would be greatly reduced if closer to the trunk and "blocked" by the leaves.

It is not unusual for a small potted tree that is not being trained for bonsai to have large leaves. The larger surface area increases exponentially the photosynthates produced. Hence providing more energy for growth.

Young trees that have long internodes will often end up having its branches weighed down by leaves. It opens the tree up for air movement and more light exposure for photosynthesis.

Immature trees are "concentrating on growth and storage of carbohydrates. As trees mature they start to flower more and produce more seeds. It is as basic as photosynthesis surface area : flower production. I would have to look it up but if I recall correctly there is a relatively stable ratio.

Thank you for a very informative lesson on the biology of the Acer p.
arnie...