Help with a tree?

I need to plant a tree in my front yard. the people at the stores don't seem 2 know their cactus from a bush. I need a tree that when full grown is medium in size, colorful and does not lose it's leaves in winter. I don't want it to be super messy if it has blooms, but blooms would be nice! :-) I DO NOT want a Christmas tree type of tree please. Any recommendations would be great! From tree huggers especially haha ???? :-)

Help with a tree?
Something like a Wichita Blue Juniper would be something to consider. It grows up to 12-15 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide.Has blue-green foliage all year. It's an evergreen and is low maintenance, Medium growth rate. Zoned for 3-7.
Reply:Viburnum varieties are generally evergreen, have small pinkish white flowers in winter. Grows quite slowly but becomes a small tree. Look up "viburnum" and "tree" on google to make sure you get a tree-ish one, because some varieties of viburnum are more a small shrub.





Hibuscus titilaicus (not sure of spelling of the second word) , also called hibiscus cottonwood. Attractive round dark green purplish leaves, fast growing, evergreen, yellow flowers, flowers mostly in summer. Grows to about 6m tall, quite spreading. Very little leaf drop. I have one in my yard.





I'm in a hot part of australia, winter doesn't get to freezing so I'm not sure if these plants are ok in freezing cold?





There are some great tree books at most libraries, great for getting ideas and knowing what you're planting, good luck...
Reply:Uh...you are not going to find a tree that fits that description.


All those gorgeous, colorful, bloom producing trees are deciduous, meaning that they lose their leaves in the fall. Evergreens such as spruce, pine trees, arborvitae, Leland Cyprus which don't lose their needles are all Christmas tree-ish. There is a holly tree called the "Nellie Stevens Holly" which grows about 25 feet and might work. It has deep green holly like leaves with gorgeous red berries and it's evergreen.
Reply:I don't know if there available where you are but tibouchina trees are really beautiful if you are in a moderate climate.


There are a few varieties which are actually named after the daughters of the guy who first made them popular.


They are evergreen, have beautiful purple flowers from spring to early autumn (even longer in subtropical areas) %26amp; depending on the variety you get they range in size from 2 metres to about 10.
Reply:Crepe Myrtle blooms late summer


http://images.google.com/images?q=crepe+...








Rose of Sharon


http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/...
Reply:http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/treeselecto...