You should move the tree. Take enough dirt with it though so it does not know it's been moved. You would be surprised how big these trees can get. Could you center it more in the middle of the yard away from the buildings? It is going to get big. Good luck!

right now.. or in early april ....

i do it all the time... perfect size.. perfect time.. just do it

ken

Yes, move it. Look up the eventual mature height and width, and plant it about half the mature width from a building. If you can't find that or just want to move it regardless of the future, assume the mature width at 30' or so, and plant it at least 15' from a building, 12' as an absolute minimum. Since you planted it so recently, moving it now should be fine. If you wait until Apr., as Ken suggests, there will be more roots to consider, but certainly it can be done then, and the weather won't catch you, and it, by surprise with an early freeze-up of the ground - usually around the end of Dec., as I recall from growing up in VT.

I would also move it further from the fence, in any case. You may not know, but anything that encroaches over the property line into your neighbors is his, including branches from your tree. He is legally entitled to cut any branches off at the property line. Usually, it's not a problem, but you could get the neighbor from h*ll, and have problems in the future.

As I recall, you are in Maine. If you get a spring/"mud season", as VT does, then now might be better - moving it in a sea of mud won't do you too much good - although you won't need to worry too much about watering the tree - and the ground will easily be compacted around the roots if it's really muddy.

Corner to corner is about 20 feet, so it shouldn't touch if it stays narrow. I have seen wider estimates for this tree, but the nursery rep assures me that it's documented in our area at 15' wide, which is why I chose it for this spot. She said the wider estimates I've seen on the web would be in southern climates.

Erring on the side of caution, I would move it at least a few feet. After all, if it gets the full 15' for your area, and maybe a bit more if you are "lucky", you don't want it right up against the house, the roof nor the gutters. I am not trying to malign the nursery employees, but after all, they are in the business of selling you a tree, and few people nowadays are around for any tree to grow to maturity. The references I found to A. triflorum were for H 25-30' and W 20-30', which may be slightly less for your area. All said that it was round, and as wide as tall. And the nursery may be right and it stays narrower for your area. I don't know for sure, after all....

I don't remember what direction the house faces, but the shade of a tree close to a house can hold moisture and encourage mold and mildew to grow on the siding, never mind trying to repaint the house 10-25 years down the road when the branches are at close to full width. I would leave enough room for you to be able to walk between the tree and the house at all times, even 20 years down the road. While the 10' should give enough room, IF the tree stays at the reported 15' wide, I would be happier with more than 3' of clearance. And yes, I do assume you will be limbing up the lower branches as the tree grows, but....