Two trees came immediately to mind, one is the Japanese Magnolia, which is a relatively small tree, but spectacular in the spring when it is covered in blooms. It also makes a wonderful small shade tree with its umbrella form. The other is the Fringe tree, which gets quite a bit larger. In the spring it looks like it is covered with white silk fringe, and then makes a nice size shade tree for the summer.

Betty

I have a Drake Elm which is a weeping form. It does not flower but has interesting shape and bark.
I also have a Cassia which is just gorgeous in Oct/Nov with yellow flowers and seed pods. It attracts and hosts butterflies. It also has a nice leaf shape and clusters of them and multitrunked. ]\What about crepe myrtles.?
Do a google search for "images" with these trees to see if you'd like them. The drake does not get very large, I think 35 or 40 ft. The cassia is a small tree, so is the crepe, of course.

Not sure what you might be looking for but the Sourwood tree might be interesting...

Oxydendrum arboreum Sourwood
Native
$11.00 small/medium plant bands (18" to 30" tall)
10 gallon $45.00 cannot ship
Sun - part shade Zones 6-8 Family: Ericaceae
Sourwood gets its common name from the sour taste of the leaves - wonder who was chewing on them??? Another common name that is readily understandable is Lily of the Valley tree, so named for the panicles of urn-shaped flowers that dangle on one side of the stem, each panicle being 7-8" long. These fragrant white flowers appear about June to July. Eventual height of Sourwood is 20-50'. After the flowers in early summer, you don't have long to wait for the spectacular fall show. Pinks, oranges, reds are just a few of the shades you will see as these deep green 3-5" oval leaves begin their presentation. Native to Pennsylvania & Ohio south to the Gulf Coast & west to Texas. There is only one species of sourwood in the world & it only grows wild in the eastern U.S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pineridge Gardens

My favorite tree is the Dogwood. I understand Dogwood tree is difficult to transplant.

Another nice tree is the Confederate Rose. It has beautiful large pink/white carnation-like blooms in September.

I think they are called flowering crabapple.I think they come in white,pink and red flowers and have nice fall colors.I don't know how well they will do here but I think I'm going to try some.I have been trying to build a pond for two years with bad back and no help it's hard to do.good luck Jim

Do a google search for "Kousa dogwood" making certain you at some time click on "images" at the top of the search page. There are a number of great cultivars including ones that weep, have variegated foliage, have pink/red flowers, etc. The great thing about the Kousa dogwood is that it is much more disease resistant than the native dogwood or crabapple. If there is such a thing as a perfect tree, Kousa dogwood may well be it.

Sourwood can be tricky, plus it is a slow grower.

Hey, Hairy, are you still in Highland? And did you keep any of those roses?

Sorry to hear about your knee.

P.

JIM2K,
DON'T KNOW WHAT ZONE YOU ARE IN, BUT THE FLOWERING
CRABAPPLES DO VERY WELL HERE IN EAST CENTRAL MS.
MY DM HAS TWO THAT ARE QUITE LARGE (FOR A SMALL TREE)
JUST BE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE FRUIT THAT DROPS AND CAN
MAKE A MESS...QUITE GOOD FOR JELLY.THOUGH.
DEBBIE

If you want to try the sourwood, it is really one of the most gorgeous ever--sometimes blooms while the foliage is changing and knocks your sox off. It's more than tricky here, but farther north I think you'd have a good chance if you do a little research about growing conditions. Another possibility is the Chinese fringe tree, Chionanthus retusus. I love the native one recommended above, and it would no doubt do fine for you, but it's short-lived here. The Chinese form is wider than the native one, in fact shaped very much like a small live oak. Fall leaf color is yellow, or mostly tan this year when it hadn't started to color and got hit by colder weather earlier than we normally get. Beautiful branching habit, nice bark, and in spring it's loaded with fragrant fringy white flowers that literally stop traffic. Grows fairly quickly too--started stopping traffic only a few years after I planted it from a one-gallon can.

You know, I have never recomended one before but...take a stroll thru Barnwells gardens, you will see flowering cherries. I had always assumed that they would do poorly here. Well, guess I was wrong! Beautifull framework to the trees and, of course, stunning flowers. Being in the Prunus family, undoubtably there will be some problems now and again but it may well be worth it! There are a lot of cultivars out there, research them, some will be more suited than others here in La. I would caution you though about flowering crabs...beautifull yes BUT(!) apple scab will defoliate them almost every summer. Even the resistant ones usually sucumb here in La. Another problem with apple here in Z.8 is the chilling hours arn't always met. I always tell people to use them in a mixed border...once they flower, they fade into the backround. I would hate to see this tree as a focal point in a yard. Well, actually, I have...kinda Charlie Brown Christmas tree thing going on, ya' know?
BTW...is your yard shady or sunny? If you have some shade..have you ever seen a WHITE Red Bud? Very, very cool and not common.
Tim

Jeeze, I forgot the best one....Gingko...stunning fall color, beautifull form, no pest and...drumroll please...not very common (though it should be) in Shreveport. One of the few trees here that have INTENSE fall color. You will love it.
Tim

A pretty native is the yellow popular or tulip tree. The flowers are somewhat hidden on old trees by the fact of height and the flowers are the same green as the leaves (along with orange and a yellow edging if I remember correct). They have really pretty tulip shaped leaves (thus their name) which turn a yellow before dropping in the fall. The only negative is older trees can have problems with trunks snapping during wind storms. I've had a few have this happen. These where all your large old trees.
Fairly fast growing tree.
Mike