Many around, some of them almost happy. Unless you want the purple leaves of 'Forest Pansy' one of the dry climate species like California redbud or Judas tree would be a better one to try. However, these are not as prevalent in the local trade, and the west coast species is usually quite bushy. For instance, I've seen it recently at Sky (185th & Aurora, Shoreline) and the ones they have fork right at the ground level and are small; few would look at them and think the same kind of plant can also be a tree.

I have successfully grow C occidentalis in a multi-trunk tree form. If you give any of the C canadensis cultivars enough water (and/or maybe some shade) I think they'd do fine.

They grow wild in Z8 Tx. and La. While shade tolerant, they are also quite drought tolerant and tolerant of full sun.
Nothing special required for them down here.

Interesting, scotjute. Redbuds are also colonizing some south-facing, bone-dry road-cuts around here. Not something one would expect from an understory tree -- dogwoods could never do that.