Fern, I am also looking at trees to put into my back yard. I recently talked with some nurseries and here is the list they gave me.

Malus 'Thunderchild' burgundy leaves
Amur Maple red fall colour can be grown as a shrub or tree
Hawthorn.....apparently has thorns

When I researched them..I don't see anywhere where they are said to be fast growers though.

Sierra

Sierra,

Thanks for the ideas. Have you looked into any ornamental plum or cherry varieties?

Did you decide on a tree yet? And do you have any good planting advice or timing suggestions?

Fern

If you want a tree with purple leaves, then it will grow slower, because there's less chlorophyll (that's why the leaves aren't green).

Anyhoo, Schubert Chokecherries grow quite quickly, have nice scented flowers, has green leaves in the spring that eventually turn purple, they leave out very early and hold onto their leaves for a very long time.

Willows are another very attractive option. They are very fast growing.

Interesting fact about the chlorophyl, never thought of that.

I like the look of the Schubert. Are they always a small tree, or can they grow to larger size? I would eventually like to be able to sit under the new tree for shade in the summer.

Shazam, you seem to be a wealth of knowledge, do you have any other suggestions for colorful shade trees?

Sierra, have you considered the Schubert, and what did you end up choosing?

Fern - Are you looking for trees OTHER than the Japanese maple? I'm sure that one would be finished off in one Calgary winter (I'm sure you realize that..just checking;))

I'll attach a link for a great article on zone 3-hardy red leafed trees.

I definitely second the amur maple suggestion; you can prune them to have a similar shape to a Japanese maple, if you like that shape, and they have pretty leaves. They are quite a compact tree.

Here is a link that might be useful: Autumn trees

Schuberts can get quite big. However, if you want BIG, then get a Mayday, which is essentially the same as a Schubert except gets bigger. Much bigger. The one thing with the Schuberts and Maydays are that they drop fruit and that can be quite messy - although I find in Calgary they get eaten by birds long before they drop.

If you have enough moisture, a birch tree is ideal to sit under. My in-laws had one at their old house beside their patio and it was great.

Another really nice shade tree that's severely underused in Calgary are Lindens. They also have scented flowers and are quite tidy. They don't seem to grow too quickly though. If you're willing to make a trip to Inglewood, there's an office building there (close to the bird sanctuary - one of the last commercial buildings you'll see before the houses start) with an open courtyard that has Linden and Lilac trees.

DH had me check into the Schubert Chokecherry tree since he liked the purple leaf colour (nice to have something different in the yard). Greenhouse told us they will sucker if they are mulched, but not if the grass is allowed to grow up to it. My sister has one, not mulched, doesn't sucker, and it grows/looks great! She had a problem with aphids one year - it was a bad bad year for them, and the greenhouse advised to spray it down with water several times through the week, and that took care of that. Also if you have time, check out Lois Hole's book on trees and shrubs, she's included photos of most varieties she speaks about, and has some categories (what to plant in wet areas/dry areas/shady/sunny etc). That might help steer you.

We bought and planted two trees in our yard yesterday. I went to the Beaverdam Nursery just outside of Okotoks. Very friendly and knowledgeable people there, and they have great prices (almost half the price of other places I checked).

We planted a Bailey's Select Schubert Chokecherry in the backyard. Apparently the Bailey's variety is more resistant to black knot disease (so I was told).

We planted a "Thunderchild" crab apple in the front yard.

Also grabbed a Alexander MacKenzie rose for the backyard.
Thanks for all the tree ideas. we actually measured the heights of both trees too, so we can track there growth!

Sorry Fern, I forgot to come back to this thread, I see you already bought your trees and planted them.

So far I bought 2 malus trees that were rated zone 2. They are a bit further ahead than if they were planted here so I won't plant for a couple of weeks yet.

Hope yours do well in your garden.

Sierra