I have made a spreadsheet of all the cultivars I've considered that I've run across, to help me remember their highlights when it comes time to choose them... and I can filter for various qualities like being dwarf and doing well in full sun/heat (to the best of my knowledge from research). So what kind of leaf features are you looking for? laceleaf, matsumerae, strap leaf, variegation, colors and seasonal changes, ??? I don't know your preferences, but I could tell you what my list comes up with that at least could give you names to look up.
Just filtering for dwarf and sun tolerance, I come up with these candidates to suggest:
Acer palmatum 'Abigail Rose'
Acer palmatum 'Brant's Dwarf'
Acer palmatum 'Hime Shojo'
Acer palmatum 'Kamagata'
Acer palmatum 'Kuro Hime'
Acer palmatum 'Mikawa Yatsubusa'
Acer palmatum 'Monticello Gardens'
Acer palmatum 'Ojishi' Male Lion
Acer palmatum 'Sherwood Elfin'
Some sellers may also give you decent options if you search by keyword for 'dwarf' and 'heat tolerant' or 'full sun' or similar. There are lots of options to choose from!!
And of course, larger forms can easily be kept smaller in pots, if you want even more options.
Let me know if you'd like me to run any more filters to suggest!
