Japanese Maple tree?

[u/INeedAMargarita]

found this sapling in my backyard about six months ago. It was only about a foot tall. I dug it up and planted it in a pot, and now it’s shot up to about 3 feet. I believe it’s a Japanese maple, and I’d like to continue growing it, but it looks odd. Am I doing something wrong?

[u/spiceydog]

I would find a sheltered spot in your yard where it can get dappled light (or preferably morning light and afternoon shade if you're in a warmer southern latitude), and let it do it's thing. It'll grow branches when it gets around to it. Cage it if there's a danger of damage from weather or animals.

When you plant it out, make absolutely sure you plant at proper depth -the same depth at which it was dug up- with the root flare exposed (at least the topmost roots should be at grade). Please see this wiki for a full explanation on why this is so vitally important, along with other critical planting tips and errors to avoid; there's sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.