Deciduous choices: 1. A small native tree, cercis occidentalis (Western redbud). Gets to about 15 feet. Usually grows as a multi-trunk. Usually blooms better inland where it gets colder. Attracts hummingbirds. Doesn't bloom heavily near the coast where I live. Rounded shape and leaves. Well-behaved rootwise. Mine is 5 feet from our pool. 2. Chaste tree (vitex agnus-castus). Great, reliable summer bloomer, even near the coast. Attracts hummers and butterflies. Roots well behaved--ours is also 5 feet from the pool like our cercis occidentalis. To about 15 feet. We've grown ours as a multi-trunk. Some people like to keep the tree trimmed as a large shrub. (You can see a small portion of the Western redbud in the foreground to the left.) 3. Forest pansy redbud (cercis canadensis). This one blooms better (at least in my location) than my native redbud.

I think we may have some differing opinions :-) I am not at all convinced that this little tree is "out of shape" - it looks pretty much like a young, immature seedling maple should. And I'd wonder what exactly would be contemplated with regards to pruning to get it into "shape". JM's typically require minimal structural pruning and with young trees, the branch structure does help to develop the trunk. Since all the branching is still very small diameter, I'd be inclined to give it another season or two and then reconsider any pruning needs. Growth is often the most rapid with young trees and will slow as they age.......it is my opinion that like a gangly teenager, this tree just needs to grow into itself. And I'd also agree that any fertilizing is not necessary.

Here are pictures of the two carolina jessamines I have. They were both planted in 2004 when they were about a foot tall. The first one is now growing above the 4 ft tall fence. The second one is taller looking but that's because a lot of it is growing up rather than out. Keep in mind that in the past I haven't fertilized them or done anything else. I've left them to their own devices. I don't personally consider these to be fast growing plants but that could be because of where they're planted or the neglect. But anyway, the pics might help you. :)

I still think it was you but don't remember that much if kids were there. Wife black straight hair? Last Saturday at the Devonian gardens we talked about prunus Siberica and thought it to be a rather minor deviation of prunus Manchirica. Even though Siberica is likely to carry over the pink I still have one reserved thought that Robert Purvis knows of about Siberica. That it is an incredibly slow grower and is dwarf. Robert used to live in Alaska and in Idaho still does nothing but apricot in one of his collections in Washington. Gabe Botar was at the gardens who is another person knowing a great deal about apricot. He had scions of a prolific dwarf apricot with small good tasting fruits that he produced from crossed parents. Good stuff because slow growing and dwarf is always great for extreme cold or unprotected sites. For example flowering under the snow would delay bloom and escape the damaging spring frosts. If Clair Lammers (formerly from Edmonton) from Alaska ever grew Gabes apricot he would at least had fruits from this where all other his Manchurica experiments failed. My grandfather may have been around as a retired forester at the time those were planted and lived very close by. Only a remote possibility exists. I came across the trees a few years ago because I wanted to visit my childhood memories of the wading pool that still there in that place and not that anybody told me. Who ever planted them it seems very possible it was done from self pollinated Goldcot seeds similar the way you collected from the pink tree the seeds for another generation.