Maybe one of these would appeal.

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Trees for Tennessee - Powered by Google Docs

seems like a lot of shade ... what about dogwood or redbud???

flowering cherry will probably favor full sun ...

ken

If you love Yoshino cherry for its "branching" as you say then go ahead and plant it.
But if you love it for its flowering, you might want to plant something that flowers better in the shade. You can spray to prevent j beetles.

I would certainly consider something native. With that sea of non-native lawn grass, the poor native insects have nothing to nibble on (and therefore the birds have no insects to eat). Don't worry they won't ravage your plants like japanese beetles would - the birds will be eating them as fast as they appear.

Perhaps a Hawthorn or a Serviceberry would be good; both are full sun plants (assuming this is a full sun, you don't really say ..?). A birch (Betula) doesn't provide showy flowers, but it supports a lot of wildlife.

For partial shade, a Sourwood or Silverbell (Halesia) would be nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Top 20 native woody plants for insects

Thanks all!

As far as sun/shade goes, despite the surrounding trees, I would classify this spot as mostly sunny. The nursery owner was trying to talk me into a little gem magnolia since it is evergreen. I'm not sure what I think about that. It may be too columnar and dense?

The lawn grass is mixed fescue, which is the common non native grass here. We have taken a ton of it out with these latest berms, but it is still a necessary evil. (Plus it's really practical with kids and dogs!) I'd love to be able to have a lawn of buffalo grass, of course I'm the wrong zone. Also, we back up to wood land and pastureland with lots of native shrubbery, so no worries of starvation for the little wriggly insects!

At the nursery today, they mentioned that the Sourwoods, which sound so intriging to me, actually don't do well in this microclimate. I really like the birch, but I think it is difficult to plant under those. We do have lots of native trees in our yard now, including sugar maples, 2 red maples grown from seed, a hemlock grown from seed, a white pine grown from seed, and oaks! We also have bird feeders and a bird bath! (I could do with out the squirrels though.) What's so crazy is that the local nurserys don't carry any of the native smaller trees, except dogwoods. So, my dilemma persists...

What to do. What to do?

If you want a native turf in TN, you could plant creeping red fescue but that is neither here nor there. You asked about trees. There are newer and better cultivars than lil gem. With your zone 6 position, I'd probably pass on them though in favor of something like jane magnolia.

Looks like you got quite a bit of space there. Why a small treee?

gardneninggrandma, there is quite a bit of space, but out of the picture to the far left is a red maple we planted (it's probably 20 feet tall now), plus the smallish tree to the left is a sweetgum. In addition, the large tree is a white oak, with other younger white oak to the right of the berm. In front of that oak, and about 15 feet forward is a sugar maple. The latter 3 trees are original to the lot. So...?

I love woodland gardens, which is what we are eventually aiming for back there. We have a number of long lived trees that will grow considerably given time.

Should I be considering a different tree or trees? Maybe a larger tree would work just fine too?

Why not put in more Japanese Maples, there are hundreds of excellent cultivars, many that look quite different from each other.

Adding a Harry Lauders Walking Stick or curly willow would be cool and add winter interest.

Chinese Whichhazel?

Copper Beach is a cool tree if you want a large tree, but may be very hard to find.

Sassafras Tree.

Korean Maple.

Jamie

I think I would plant an American Beech or hickory there. Something slow growing that will be there long after the maple and sweetgum are long gone. Maybe American Holly. Afterall, it's surrounded by deciduous trees, a splash of year round green would look nice.

gardningrandma, I am really liking the Beech idea. I wonder if there is any way to get an American Chesnut, which I think may be a type of a beech?

Hickory is interesting too. Does anyone know about Yellowood or Ironwood trees? Some of my favorite large trees are the Live Oaks, but I'm in the wrong zone. I am open to ideas. I love the idea of helping to reestablish awesome trees.

Sorry...not the Ironwood, I meant the Hornbeam Tree (got mixed up because the Hornbeam is supposed to be a very hardy wood!)

Ironwood is a nice smaller (usually multistemmed) tree. I was going to suggest that. I was also going to suggest yellowwood, a flowering medium sized tree. Very attractive.
Hornbeam is also a nice tree but the ones that are most commonly available are columnar forms from the European species. Not that there's anything wrong with those, but would look out of place in that location in the middle of the yard.
American Chestnut has gone virtually extinct across it's native range, where you are, due to a disease called chestnut blight. Some report being able to grow for a few years before they die. Others are experimenting with resistant hybrid chestnuts. I definitely wouldn't plant a chestnet.
American Beech is one of my favorite trees. Oddly I don't have one of my own. They're reportedly difficult to transplant and even more difficult to keep in a nursery situation so I don't even have one. Although I have seen where they have been planted b&b.

Thanks for the info gardningrandma! I couldn't sleep last night...thinking about awesome trees. I did find this nursery within driving distance that carries native trees. I am very excited to make a day trip of it, hopefully very soon! It looks like they've got all sorts of shrubbery to get into trouble with!

Here is a link that might be useful: Meadowbrook Nursery

Sounds like a good plan. American beech is one of my favorites too - I love the look of the pale leaves still on the tree in the winter.

On the other hand you did mention something about wanting to grow things beneath. Beech develops surface roots and casts super dense shade.

The Meadowbrook Nursery has the Silverbell and the Appalachian Spring Dogwood (new anthracnose-resistant cultivar) and a Double flowering dogwood. I think I will check those out. Maybe I could use them all there?

gardningrandma, the beech is a beautiful tree, but you are correct, I really want to have a shade garden under the trees. Most of what I have now is all full sun.

This looks especially intriguing. What fun to have some Chestnut Trees! This is getting very difficult. This nursery says you need 2 trees to pollinate? So then where could I put them? Then, I would still like the flowering understory trees. And a shade garden with rhodedendrons and ferns.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dustan Hybrid