You'll find a pretty solution, Diane! Other shrubs that do well in my awful roots are the prickly-leaf kind of Osmanthus and pyracantha (for the berries!). In a sunny spot I have a lovely blue Vitex that looks like a dwarf but is a happy camper otherwise. Your roots and conditions may be different than mine, of course, but I thought I'd tell you what still grows well here. They just look smaller; I'm not counting what grows poorly and looks bad that I've tried. Oh, I have a camellia that keeps coming up from its roots, too! I actually don't want it there, lol. That's an old passaround variety, so every camellia won't work, I wouldn't think. Campanula, don't worry about woods and ramblers if they grow lots of weeds and shrubby stuff already! I have some ramblers that have swallowed my wood's edge because I originally put them there in a 'holding garden' when I first moved in. 'Holding garden of ramblers' -- right! Live and learn :) Felicite et Perpetue is lovely as a 20' monster in a tree, though :D. I get to smell that scent as I mow the meadowy part that goes up to the edge (she's blooming now). She beats out the wild multiflora, and that's saying something! Beside her are Blush Rambler and Evangeline. Cl Cecile Brunner lost out to those three ;) Shade and competition from other ramblers is the only real problem in my woods (well, and weedy shrubs). As things get bigger, the shade produced can be deadly to others, so imagine whole walls of roses and you'll be OK, I think.

Roots can extend outward about 2 to 3 times the distance from the trunk that the canopy does, it is said. So if your 15 foot specification is based on the septic tank distance, consider that. I believe I read an online article on a 'Thundercloud' purple-leaf plum chronicling a woman's experience with it, and I think it produced that sticky crud due to aphids on things underneath; might want to check whether that's a common problem. I'd almost be leery of most anything 'maple' near a septic tank. When you say a taller tree is okay if it doesn't get over 15' wide, are you walking radius (from the trunk) or diameter (of the whole canopy)? Richard.

Neighbors years ago planted some kind of wisteria that went berserk. Was in an extremely swampy area and not pruned for at least 10 years. Wow, it was gorgeous! and rampant. Unfortunately the new folks who moved in hate plants and are busy trying to do away with it. My clematis armandii is quite ragged and brown from all the ice and snow. Hope it recovers. It's flowers are sweet and prolific but it isn't the most beautiful of vines imho. Have lots of clematis that's deciduous. Have trumpet vine which if left unpruned for years will get wild. Have lots of honeysuckle which is evergreen. Honeysuckle grows fairly quickly and is easy to prune. You can keep it shaped to your liking. Personally, ivy is my favorite -- miniature ivies that come in so many colors and shapes. Mine are growing quite slowly. I'm looking for lots of starts to plant throughout my beds and yard and along east fence. Can't find anybody who sells it. Miniature ivies can handle cold and heat, shade, sun, swamps and drought after establishment. Not hard to prune. Will climb without one having to twine to vertical surface. Also planted euonymous fortunei that's miniature, supposed to be able to climb up cement walls, but it's so slow, ridiculously slow. 3 years and grown 1 foot so far.

I don't think it's a good idea to plant any tree near a fence. The problem is that as it grows, it may end up actually hitting the fence, possibly causing damage to it. Also, you end up with part of the tree on the other side of the fence, so it's difficult to take care of it. And if you're planting fruit trees, your neighbor may not like the mess when it starts dropping fruit in the lawn (although the ability to pick fruit without needing to pay for the tree may mitigate that).