i dont understand what you mean by manipulating?? ... nor why you need a 20 foot chair ...

any links to show us what you mean ... or could you be a bit more effusive as to facts???

ken

I will be using low stress training techniques to manipulate the growth of the plant. Shaping the tree into a chair. The chair itself will be just large enough for a single person to sit in. Yet the tree will continue up into a beautiful canopy.

Here is an example of tree shaping.

http://pooktre.com/

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pooktre

Possible candidates:

The thornless hawthorns like parsley hawthorn

Roughleaf dogwoods (cornus drummondii) - they grow ~3' year here after the seedling year

Good old redbuds

Carolina silverbell and relatives possibly

Some of the dogwood cornus florida or nuttallii x kousa hybrids grow pretty fast like Venus IIRC - faster than the cornus florida you referred to anyways.

Not flowering, but there are quite a few japanese maples you could use with interesting leaf color/shape

Crape myrtle in zones 7b and warmer but I wouldn't try in 7a or colder since it will die back which would defeat the purpose here.

Viburnums like rufidulum

Possibly some malus angustifolia seedlings

How fast does sourwood grow in WV? Another possibility.

Osmanthus americanus for the fragrance?

And a plethora of magnolia species and hybrids*

the trees the website look like cherry

Cherry trees grow well around here.

I think redbud is under rated also and I have seen some my neighbor has done some vine like twining to. Its pretty neat.

Post some pics in a few years!

How fast does the Cornus florida grow? How long will it take until it will reach 15'-20'? I heard 20 years... Maybe I read bad information. I am not sure. That is why I posted here. It is an amazing tree though.

Red bud looks good.
Tabebuia chrysotricha looks awesome too. Not sure if it will grow well in WV though.

Anyone know how fast any of these grow?