What tree to plant in Charlie's Garden?

[gritsar]

We're still working on a memorial garden in the backyard at my Charlie Girl's gravesite. Charlie was the world's best dog that we lost last summer to cancer.
We're kinda waiting for spring to do the plantings. It will be mainly wildflowers, a memorial stone and a forsythia bush that DH just can't kill, no matter how hard he tries.
I want to plant a smallish tree in the center of her garden. It can't have an extremely long and evasive root system because the septic tank is also in the backyard. It will have to compete somewhat for sunlight with the old hickory trees to the east of it. This can be a blessing for a young tree during the brutal summers.
I really want a flowering japanese cherry, but not sure they grow here. My other choice would be a dogwood.
Any other trees I should consider?

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Weeping Willow. For Charlie, for you. They are beautiful.

 

[conny63malies]

For some reason a magnolia comes to mind.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Weeping Willow. For Charlie, for you. They are beautiful.

We have a ton of weeping willows down by the ponds, but they do best with alot of water nearby and the yard is pretty dry.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Weeping Willow. For Charlie, for you. They are beautiful.

We have a ton of weeping willows down by the ponds, but they do best with alot of water nearby and the yard is pretty dry.

If we can grow them in the desert, you can grow them there!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

A dogwood would be thematically appropriate. Plus they are so lovely. Imagine your Charlie garden in the spring with the forsythia and dogwood both in bloom.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

I second the dogwood but you could also go with a weeping cherry or maybe even a dwarf fruit tree?

 

[riftnreef]

I say a dwarf red buckeye would be a great addition...or as previously mentioned a magnolia....the red buckeye is one of the very first trees to flower and leaf out in the spring, easy to care for and a smallish root system. Just stay away from any kind of maple as they are septic system destroyers!

 

[Countrywife]

I think your dogwood is fine. We have one planted over the septic tank and it doesn't cause any trouble. I vote dogwood. We were supposed to plant one for my beloved Cleo, but haven't decided how to keep it away from the goats yet.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Another dogwood vote.