Yellowood ~Cladastis kentukea ( C. lutea )

1. 25-30 feet tall ~ medium sized
2. no more than 25 feet spread ~ yes
3. vase-shaped (you must be able to walk under it in close proximity) ~ Yes, with proper pruning
4. not shallow-rooted as it must share area with perennials 6' from trunk ~ deep rooted
5. relatively fast-growing ~ My tree is growing fast...
6. attractive and fragrant spring blooms ~ hanging flowers similar to Black Locust or Wisteria
7. good fall colour -Bright yellow
8. resistant to gypsy moths (the former tree - an apple tree was killed by them) - I would think this tree is not bothered by insect pests
9. interesting bark for winter interest ~ bark is similar to Beech

10. some kind of fruit although not necessarily edible ~None
11. full sun ~ Yes

I'd suggest serviceberry or Amelanchier. Several species are native to various parts of North America, it is particularly tolerant to a range of planting conditions, does not generally achieve a huge height, has a modest spread and offers four seasons of interest. Although often available as a multi-trunked, clumping plant, single trunk specimens, particularly those of the popular hybrid cultivars, are readily available in nurseries.

It is pretty hard to achieve ALL the requirements on your list - they have not invented the PERFECT tree yet :-) There is no particular fragrance to the spring flowers and it is not considered fast growing....very few smaller sized trees (and yes, 25' at maturity is considered small) are. However you can obtain ones that already have some good height to them, if not with very well filled-out canopies.

And very few trees develop a deep or taproot system. This is typically in response to soil moisture conditions rather than a characteristic of a specific species. Virtually all trees - even extremely tall growing ones - will have the bulk of their root system located in the top 18" of the surrounding soil. Perennials that may require frequent division are generally not recommended planted that close to any tree, as this will inevitably damage fine feeder roots when the time for division arises and the smaller perennials must compete with the more extensive root system of the tree for water and nutrients, often to their disadvantage. But you can select smaller drought tolerant shrubs and perennials or groundcovers that don't require frequent division and that coexist in the dripline of tree without concern.

I love the American Yellowwood, but it can (likely?) get bigger than 30'. Another tree in the small-medium size range is Sorbus alnifolia (Korean Mountainash). Mine was slow to get established, but is now starting to pickup speed. Nice white flower clusters, very attractive fruit, and dependable fall color (can be spectacular) are the hallmarks of this one. Its not for dry sites, but overall is supposedly more tolerant than other commonly grown Sorbus.

Butternut or Allegheny Chinquapin.

Yes its too much to ask about any one tree, butÂ

I like yellowwood

Pros-
Great flowers
Attractive bark
& everything that krazyaroider mentioned

Cons-
Brittle wood susceptible to storm damage
Takes a long time to reach blooming age
Might not bloom every year.
Can get a lot bigger than what you are looking for

But I would still plant it, but just if I had the space.

Sorbus are great but their flowers stink. Its worth overlooking, however.

quercus_macrocarpa, those are both very disease-prone! Butternut blight and chestnut blight would be a big risk to both, respectively.

I would plant a serviceberry also for the space you have said. ThatÂs what I would recommend.

Oh i missed this- serviceberry is very tasty to gypsy moth, however. As you can see, there is no "perfect" tree.

I'd have to agree on the service berry. I love them and have planted multiple ones on my property. They are pretty, hardy, native, and produce edible berries. Look up saskatoon, juneberry, or service berry for more on the edibility of their fruit. The berries taste similar to blueberries.

FataMorgana

might also consider our native chionanthus virginicus for these traits.
fall color here is nothing much (though this year quite good for some reason) but i understand the leaves change to a soft yellow in colder climates in autumn.
i think they have a winter interest in that the trunks and branches are a silvery/gray color and look good with some up-lighting. selective pruning will allow access under the tree.
mine is around 20 years old and about the dimensions you give. lovely spring show of flowers with fragrance for a couple of weeks and dark blue drupes follow.

I almost forgot, Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis).

Thanks all for your very thoughtful input. I'm saddened to see that gypsy moths find amelanchier tasty. I have a couple that I planted this past Spring - hopefully they won't be devoured in my life time! It was very sad for my young daughter when "her" tree - an apple tree that I had planted for her - was totally devoured in a week's time while we were on vacation by those tent catapillers (I am assuming that's another name for gypsy moths?) and since the tree was so young it did not survive. I have been thinking of acer, parrotia or cercis canadensis myself and while none of those have fragrant flowers they fit the bill in other ways although I don't know about planting them close to perennials. I should mention that relatively deer proof - inasmuch as there is such a thing - would be a big advantage as well. This tree will be in the middle of a court yard and will provide shade for a seating area which you get to by walking past/around the tree. This is why fragrance would be nice but it is not a must. However, foul-smelling flowers would be a negative. I am leaning towards cercis - especially since I have a rhododendron with that same magenta coloured flowers in close proximity.

Yellowwood sounds nice but I think it would be too large for the spot. But something to consider elsewhere on my property. I had never heard of it before - thanks for bringing it to my attention!

Marianne

You could plant a Crimson Spire Oak, Quercus 'Crimschmidt'.

This tree doesn't have all of your desired traits, but quite a few.

1. 25-30 feet tall - Yes, but could get to 45' eventually.
2. no more than 25 feet spread - Yes, this is a fastigiate tree, probably no more than 15' wide.
3. vase-shaped (you must be able to walk under it in close proximity) - Yes, fastigiate tree
4. not shallow-rooted as it must share area with perennials 6' from trunk - Yes, most oaks tend to be deep-rooted.
5. relatively fast-growing - yes, my Crimson Spire oak put on 3' of growth the last two years. I was shocked.
6. attractive and fragrant spring blooms - Unfortunately, no.
7. good fall colour - Yes, exceptional fall color.
8. resistant to gypsy moths (the former tree - an apple tree was killed by them) - Sorry, I don't know.
9. interesting bark for winter interest - yes, relatively speaking.

10. some kind of fruit although not necessarily edible - Yes, but they're nuts, not fruit. "Classically" shaped acorns, almost identical to the Quercus alba parent.
11. full sun - Yes, definitely.

All but a few of the items you wanted in one tree. I doubt that you will find them all in a single tree, but the Crimson Spire oak comes close.
Thanks,
Mike

You had tent caterpillars attack your apple, and that is not gypsy moth. Tent caterpillars prefer things in the rose family, and yes, that includes amelanchier, but I just remove the nests with sticks and a hose, and on established trees it has never ever been a problem.

Acer- these are nice, but they are the worst trees in regards to rooting- this tree genus gets the garden label "doesnÂt play well with others". they are water hogs that make planting under larger trees rather prohibitive. The smaller ones may be less of a problem, butÂ

Parrotia  might get too big.

cercis canadensis  his one might be just right. Not too big, not too small, non-competitive roots. I think itÂs a good choice.

I just answered this post on another forum. Check out my suggestion.

Mexican Plum meets all of your requirements but normally has only a medium rate of growth, 2' per year would be the max. you could expect out of it. You will have to prune it so you can walk under it. It is what I planted next to back patio slab for shade.
Crepe Myrtle would also seem to fit most of your requirements.

Serviceberry comes closest in my mind also.

Regarding the mention of Serviceberry trees. These are not easy to find around here, but I have seen one "Autumn Brilliance" at one nursery, and another "Cumulus" at another one a bit further away (although not prohibitively so). Which do you think is preferable.

Depends on the relative length and width of the patio,

i.e., the patio ratio.

;-)