Serviceberry (Amelanchier - there are several, including 'Autumn Brilliance') - birds love it, good fall color too

Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)- very unusual flowers

Crataegus viridis 'Winter King' - red berries in the fall/winter

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) - purple flowers

will the birds make a mess on the drive way because of the berries from the serviceberry tree?

lalinouss, I know you have that question on another thread and I was hoping someone else would chime in. My two cents - I have always found that the birds eat the berries very quickly - have not had the problem of the berries dropping to the ground (which is true for my Prunus serotina - so many fall on the ground, don't know why). Whether or not the birds "hang around" afterward and poop, I honestly don't know.

The Chitalpa sounds like a nice tree.

I was hoping for a cherry or dogwood tree, why will that not work?

Thanks!

Dogwoods like some shade, full sun will scorch it, especially if it's dry.

Redbud might would tolerate a bit more sun. Crabapples also might work if you can find a good disease resistant variety.

This one is quite special in flower. I've read that in Japan there is an entire park devoted to just this tree, with hundreds of kinds planted in blocks of one variety.

Do not amend soil when planting trees and shrubs - unless you amend the entire potential rooting area. Use mulch instead.

Here is a link that might be useful: Prunus mume

as the JC Raulston Arboretum you have a special opportunity to go see examples of various candidates for your planting in person and identify something interesting.

Dr Raulston was an exceptional individual who built up an important collection of choice plants (including Prunus mume) at the university.

Here is a link that might be useful: Welcome

A cherry would be nice, I was just trying to think of things that you might not ordinarily see. My two favorite ornamental cherries are Prunus 'Okame' (in bloom now around Atlanta) with a fairly pink bloom and Yoshino cherry which blooms later and has white blooms.

A tree that is not often used is American plum, also a member of the Prunus genus (Prunus americana). The blossoms are creamy white.

I have also heard good things about Prunus mume.

Let me see what I planted and the planting size:
-2 Kwansan cherry - 8' (full sun - spring flowers)
-1 Pink Dogwood - 3' (very slow grower and needs PM shade)
-7 colors of crape - from 5'-12' (full sun -bloom from Jun)
-2 Forest Pansy Redbuds - 6' and 10' (partial shade)
-2 Japanese Maples - 5' (after 4 years now 7',some shade)

If you want to enjoy them and not have to wait for 10 years to reach any reasonable size, consider buying a few larger. May cost more but they also prune, trim and train the leader stems. I love color and my wife insisted on color for most of the growing season, not just in spring.

I recommend a deciduous magnolia: _Magnolia soulangeana_, _Magnolia stellata_, _Magnolia denudata_, _Magnolia sprengeri_, _Magnolia liliiflora_, etc. The deciduous magnolias come in shades of white, pink, and purple. If you decide on a _Magnolia soulangeana_, make sure that you buy a named cultivar, not the generic form that is sold by many nurseries. The late-blooming cultivars are less likely to suffer frost damage. 'Verbanica,' 'Lennei,' and 'Brozzoni' are three good, late-blooming cultivars that come to mind. You will find late-blooming clones of _Magnolia soulangeana_ available through the better mail-order nurseries, Greer Gardens, Wayside, etc. The white-flowered Yulan Lily Tree (_Magnolia denudata_) has been grown in Southern gardens for generations. _Magnolia liliiflora_, the "purple magnolia," is, as its common name implies, purple. All have a pleasing fragrance.

The following trees scream Spring to me:

Crabapple
Japanese Cherry
Any deciduous Magnolia as Jay says. I particularly like M. soulangeana and those creamy white YULAN magnolias--elegant and gorgeous!

"The relative inattention paid this remarkable tree by the gardening world becomes difficult to understand when you look at the tree itself. At 20 feet it is an ideal size for small gardens or a fine accent for larger landscapes. In late spring and summer, handsome dark green foliage, dramatically colored, dark green stems and a pleasant rounded habit distinguish Prunus mume. But it is during the dark days of winter that this plant exhibits its unique charm. Starting as early as January, depending on the cultivar, the site and the weather, Prunus mume produces beautiful, delicate, fragrant flowers over many weeks just when we need them most. The flowers can be white to red through pink, single or double, and have a rich and spicy fragrance"

"Perhaps the largest collection of Prunus mume is found in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the North Carolina State University Arboretum, where some 50 varieties are grown"

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume)A Mid-winter Extravaganza

Prunus mume are beautiful trees, but they generally bloom in the winter to early spring. Mine is done blooming now (it is breathtaking in the winter and smells like spicy cinnamon). I'm sure there are some that bloom later, but probably not as late as dogwoods. Dogwood would probably be fine in full sun here in the Piedmont...they do appreciate some afternoon shade in general, but there are plenty of them in full sun all around NC and they bloom more heavily because of the full sun and look gorgeous. The foliage does burn in summer, though.

If you amend the soil, you will temporarily increase water holding capacity,but if the native soil is dry, that site is dry. Amend with a rototiller over a wide area (not just in the planting hole), and only a little amendment of native soil (from under trees, for mycorrhizae) in the planting hole. Mulching with wood chips will retain soil moisture, and if you get chips from an arborist in the area (and avoid allelopathic trees like black walnut), then you may get mushrooms as well.

I agree with the Chionanthus virginicus, Crataegus viridis and I had a Vitex agnus-castus in CA, it bloomed early summer instead over a long period, millions of bees buzzing about, as wide as tall, great tree IMHO. Also Halesia should be considered for multi-season interest. P. mume is an excellent choice. There are so many cherries to choose from - my favorite is 'Kwanzan', good fall color in good years. Deciduous Magnolia are a good choice for aesthetics, but create some maintenance issues (says the lazy arborist). Chitalpa is a summer bloomer. If you choose crabapple, you will get sidewalk staining and you need to choose carefully for disease resistance.

One that I didn't see mentioned above, perhaps because of moisture (I'm not familiar with frequency of rainfall there), is Styrax japonica or esp. S. obassia, a little later bloom than asked for but if the trees position is going to be nearer the street, many will appreciate it.

Good luck!

Dan