What's your favorite small tree?

I have a small yard and I'm looking for a tree to plant (20 feet or so). I have a Japanese maple and 2 Natchez crepe myrtles, and I want one more tree. I'm looking for something that you don't see all the time and something that will give me year-round interest (especially fall color). The suggestions that I have gotten are Lily of the Valley tree (or Sourwood), Serviceberry, and Chinese Pistache. Anybody have any input on these trees, or suggestions for other selections? I live in zone 8a, but could throw a rock to 8b. Thanks!

Hi lalasland (love that! I live there most of the time),
Anyway I am VERY new at gardening, but where I worked they had this small tree that everybody loved and nobody knew anything about it. I found it on the internet while browsing for small trees myself. It is called a RedBud. Now, I will probably be blasted, because this may be the worst tree ever (Kudzo in plant for) and I wouldn't know. But, everyone in the two office buildings loved it. It flowers first and it looks like purple moss on the branches and trunk. I have never seen anything like it. The leaves come after that and the shape of the trunk and branches are beautiful. Almost oriental looking (could be the pruning). I believe it has yellow leaves in the fall Just a thought. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. So did everybody else. I just order myself one because I cut the Horrid Bradford Pears out of our front yard where we just bought a house. Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for.

Update: Went and read more about it. Apparently it is a great small tree. 20' to 30' and, oops...ummm, I think about 25' wide. I went to several sites and they couldn't say enough about it (not the sites selling, the ones reviewing). Apparently the grow well just about anywhere. Just a little more info.

Sincerely,
Plantcraze_y who is just plain ole crazy today

Lala,
I have a sourwood and it's a pretty tree but they are listed as slow growers so you might want to consider that before purchasing one. I have a big yard and was able to put mine way down the hill by the creek (they also prefer moist ground). I also have two Prairiefire crabapples that are small trees (only to approx. 20-25 feet). Their newly emerging leaves in spring are maroon and turn purplish green for summer. They bloom beautiful pink flowers in spring. Then in the late summer they put on small crabapples. The leaves turn dark maroon again in the fall before dropping for the winter. They are more resistant to the usual problems crabapples are prone to such as fireblight.

hawthorn. drought tolerant, pretty spring flowers. berries. in the apple family.

there's that redbud again. i have one but it must not be the same one everyone falls in love with. it just has pretty purple-pink flowers short time in early spring and that's all i can say about it, otherwise just sort of plainjane. so be very particular about what cultivar you get
cause mine is a plain one

Hi lalasland:

All the suggestions you've gotten (here and elsewhere) are good plants; the Chinese Pistache might get a little bigger than your prescribed 20' though. I think it'll want to reach 35' anyway; some texts say 50'.

How about a bit of rarity? I'd bet there's not too many Franklin trees (Franklinia alatamaha) grown in your neck of the woods. A fine small tree, no longer found in the wild (Georgia, originally), named after Ben Franklin -- this plant has fragrant white flowers in late summer (mine is blooming now) against deep green foliage. The shiny lustrous leaves will turn brilliant scarlet red with some flashy orange undertones come fall. All it asks for is some regular soil which leans toward the acid side (though mine does fine in circumneutral clay in droughty central KY), and give it moisture during dry weather through the first few years of establishment.

This is a great plant that is seldom used. Everyone I know who has planted it, has never regretted it.

Guess the Redbud tree is also known as Judas Tree. It is beautiful. I came across a weeping katsura rarely used also, nice fall color - excited about it.
I like the sourwood, but can't find it in our nurserys, even though it is supposed to grow in my zone. Maybe I'll check in spring.