Where are you generally, since moisture and soil vary in different parts of the zone? In zone 5a, I wouldn't try any of the fancy redbud selections, most of which are less hardy, to 5b or 6. This is one plant where the provenance of the original is important to hardiness. I have a Minnesota strain redbud that has done fine, but most others will have branch dieback, or even die back to the ground in cold years, though one of the white varieties is supposed to be quite hardy as well.

Chanticlear pear flowers have an unpleasant odor (often likened to cat pee) and don't do well with ice or wet snow, so unless you are unlikely to have this type of winter weather, I wouldn't suggest one.

I am also not a huge fan of the Japanese lilacs (Syringa reticulata) since I've seen a fair number of those with winter damage similar to the pears, though not as severe, so they are often lopsided from needing to have branches removed.

Serviceberries (Amelanchier) are often multi-trunked, but if you can get a single trunked one, I don't think it will be overly wide, based on the ones I see around here. Flowers, fruit for the birds, and good fall color.

In New England, with acid soil, pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is a lovely, fully hardy tree with almost year round interest. Spring brings clusters of tiny, lacy flowers, followed by berries that progress over the summer from green through red to deep purple, and are then gobbled up the birds, making for a quite active tree in August. Fall color is soft peach and yellow, and winter branching stucture is lovely. This is another tree that is wider when multi-stemmed.

Look at hornbeam/blue beach/musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) and hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) though both may be a bit larger than you want.

I like crabapples as long as they are disease resistant, so check whatever you are looking at to see how they do. One good source of information in general is the Missouri Botanical Garden's plant finder. Here's a good look at some of the various types of crabapples, including shape, size, flowers, fruit, and disease resistance.

Paper bark maple (Acer griseum) is also a great smaller tree which grows quite slowly in zone 5. Shiny coppery bark and great fall color. I like striped maple/moosewood (Acer pensylvanicum) for its amazing bark, but it prefers at least part shade.

The pear is a terrible invasive around here. TV news stations air pieces from the state DNR asking people not to plant them. Maybe your area also?

IME pears don't ripen enough to be an issue here, but they are a menace further south.

Sciadopity's verticillata 'Joe Kozey' is one I'd always be on the lookout for.

Dax

Fagus sylvatica:

'Purple Fountain'

'Dawyck Purple'

'Dawyck Gold'

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Diospyros virginiana 'Magic Fountain'

Dax

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Strict Weeping'

Dax

Picea glauca 'Pendula'

Quercus x 'Birthday Candle'

Quercus x 'Chimney Fire'

Dax

Thanks for the quick responses. I'm just north of Toronto in Ontario. So yes, seasonal weather is an issue. My view across from my front property is an evergreen forest, hence why I was looking at different ornamentals types. On the other side of the fence is a row of maples. Plus, everyone around here plants maples. The paper bark maple is still an option though. @NHbabs - I have a few of your suggestions in my backyard, 5 columnar horn beams & a pagoda dogwood. I also have 2 columnar oaks, a northern catalpa for shade & a dappled willow shrub that I have pruned into a multi stem tree. I would like a single trunk service berry if I could find one. So far it is just the multi stemmed that I have found. The Dawyck Purple is now also a contender, did not think of that one, but it would look lovely with all my green/ yellow & white shrubbery. I'm looking anywhere from 1 tree to 3 trees, depending on sizes. Avoiding the Japanese maples because of the weather conditions out front, the fence line gets hammered by northwest winds.

As for the redbuds I love them but I found them quite pricey at the garden center. If they are borderline for the zone I would be afraid to pay too much for them.

I am also having a crabapple love session - particularly the graceful Chinese crabs. The columnar m.tschonoskii has me in thrall with its autumn colours while m.transitoria has charm in abundance - the only clue is in the name - transitoria, aka short-lived. Finally, a shout out for the Hupeh Crab. m.hupehensis, a perfectly proportioned small specimen tree. Haven't yet mentioned my other obsession - the sorbus. Living in the UK, the search for small trees (for our small gardens) is always ongoing - from medlar to amelanchiers, quince (cydonia) to almonds, it is always a bonus when fruit or nuts are produced as well as good foliage and structure.

Three-Flowered Maple is an excellent small to mid-sized tree.

Paperbark maple would be beautiful year-round.

American Hornbeam is a great small tree with fall color and interesting winter form. The cultivar 'Native Flame' has a nice range of fall color.

Magnolias like 'Leonard Messel' or 'Merill' are fantastic performers with outstanding blooms, foliage quality and yellow fall color.

If going for the beech be sure there are others growing in your area- 5a is their limit and most cultivars will not make it below -20F.

Northwind Maple is a Japanese x Korean cross that would be hardy enough for your area. Really great early leaf color and fall color.

Royal Raindrops crabapple would give purple foliage color combined with nice flowers. Grows well even in quite harsh conditions.

China Snow Pekin Lilac is another great small tree with flowers, bark, and decent yellow fall color. Would recommend it over regular Japanese Tree Lilac.

Depending on the Birch you already have, Royal Frost & Dakota Pinnacle are also excellent selections with year-round interest.

Lots of choices! And if you decide to go with a few conifers or even one your options expand greatly.

Just an update on the trees I was looking at, I'm really leaning towards the service berry - autumn brilliance. It will fit the area best. And give me 3 seasons of interest. I found some that are single stemmed, about 7-8 feet at the nursery. However, this is one of our areas priciest garden centers. Checking out my regular tree farm today for selection & a better price. I have also decided to add in a couple of other small trees in our front & back yard, based on some of the other suggestions. so for those I am going to get a yellow magnolia (one of the girls), a columnar crabapple & a Kousa Venus. Thanks for the help!

Just so you know.....Cornus 'Venus' is not all that small. It is a hybrid of the western dogwood, Cornus nuttalli, with Cornus kousa. C. nuttallii is a BIG tree and offers some very robust vigor to the hybrid. I'd expect a tree that grows relatively rapidly to at least 20' (ultimately as much as 25-30') and with a similar if not slightly wider spread. Don't be fooled by the scrawny appearance of a young, ready-to-plant tree - once established, these will fill out rapidly. Amazing flowers, tho....they are huge for a dogwood, as much as 6" across and produced in abundance.

@gardengal - the Kousa is for a completely different spot. I saw them a few years ago & fell in love. I'm just adding to my order, because of delivery cost. It will take 20+ years to fill in where I want it. I think my zone also slows down the progress of these.

I live in midtown Toronto. Redbuds are gorgeous but I have not had good luck with them and yes, they are pricey. I have Siberian crabapples which I love for their tight columnar shape and beautiful flower but this year something is not right with them - no flowers and lots of dying branches - some disease. So another expensive issue. I also have 3 columnar tulip trees - taken well and are different. Always love service berry so hardy - you cant go wrong.

Fireblight to your crabs it sounds like.

Dax

@apbs - you say you have columnar tulip trees. Where did you get them? I absolutely adore tulip trees, but I have not found them in columnar form.

Just an update, I ended up getting 2 robin hill serviceberry trees for the fence line. Did not take a picture while they were flowering, but they look great. I also got a Columnar Siberian crabapple for the backyard. Hopefully, it stays healthy!

I've seen maybe three Malus hupehensis in my life, but they left me thinking I'd like to have one.