What about a crab-apple with purple leaves?

By the way your scene would look a lot better if you cut down the tree that is leaning away from the house over there on the left.

Betula nigra 'Shiloh Splash' - variegated foliage and peeling bark on a small birch tree that likes full sun and is very hardy.

I have grown Pagoda dogwood in full sun without problems, though if you choose a variegated variety it might prefer some shade to prevent sunburn. This far north, full sun isn't an issue for regular pagodas and they truly are all season interest, with spring flowers, fruit that slowly changes color over the course of the summer, a tree full of dark berries with bright red stems (and lots of birds) in August, and peachy fall color. Winter branch structure is ornamental as well. Their only drawback to my mind is that the voles like them far too well and eat their roots.

Look at Emperor I Japanese Maple which tends to have fewer issues with late frosts than Bloodgood since it leafs out later.

i am in z5 adrian mi .... where is z4 MI????

so if i understand... that sight is full sun.. south facing .. ???

ken

I'm in Alpena. The maps say zone 5 by the lake, but the last two winters have been colder than zone 5. That's how I lost the weeping cherry. The guy who owns the nursery said that a lot of people lost them after the 2013-2014 winter. This year my Seagreen Junipers are very burnt, some look dead. My Chamaecyparis nootkatensis also burned badly that past two winters. So I'm being cautious and buying stuff that's hardy to zone 4.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. That birch is pretty cool looking, but I have river birch by the big rock in the front yard and it's pretty messy. I'm constantly trimming branches that droop down and cover the rock and get in my way while I'm mowing. Does the variegated variety do the same?

Do any of you have any experience with paperbark maple? They look intriguing, but from what I've read, they're very slow growing and expensive. I've never seen one for sale around here, but if I ask my nurseryman, he may be able to find one for me.

I forgot to say that the front lawn is the south side of the house. It's also on a slight slope. The sun beats on it pretty hard.

The star magnolia is a good suggestion, and also I've had M. 'Leonard Messel' for more than 10 years without any issues with twig dieback or bud/bloom dying. The buds and branching are attractive in winter, and the spring flowers are gorgeous, but they are just sort of background in summer and fall in my garden.

I have grown Acer griseum for perhaps 4 years and not had any issues with it. I know of one near where I work, a solid zone 5, that is probably 25 feet tall and fairly spectacular. I see this plant as nice but not spectacular in spring and summer and really shining in fall and winter.

Have you considered Serviceberry or Tree Lilac? China Snow Tree Lilac has attractive bark for winter interest.

Serviceberry is hardy to Zone 4, and native as far north as Newfoundland. It's gorgeous in the fall, and lovely all year.

I thought about a magnolia, but I'm not sure it's big enough. I have lots of wild serviceberries behind the house and two of my neighbors have tree lilacs. I'm not crazy about either for this spot, but I'm not sure what a Chinese snow tree lilac is, so I'll check that out.

I really appreciate all the suggestions you guys are giving me!

I like the serviceberry, paperbark maple, and pagoda dogwood ideas. all could work, IMO. Also, look at some Korean maples as a sort of poor man's...or cold weather man's Jap. maple. I also like the largish tree leaning away from house. It not only does not detract, IMO, from the overall appearance of things, but is leaning the way you'd want a fairly large tree close to the house to lean, lol!

+oM

Yeah, I like the leaning tree too. I have a Korean maple by the big boulder on the right. I am considering it also. I have a pagoda dogwood in the back yard that I like a lot. I was going to try to do something different in this spot. I'm leaning toward the paperbark maple, but I haven't seen a price yet.