My house is on a side-sloping lot and I have a very tall corner to soften, but I need something tall and narrow. Here are my ideal specifications:

- About 10'-12' tall at maturity

- Tree or multi-trunked tree form

- No greater than 4' at the bottom; can spread out to about 8' at the top

- Purple foliage

- Flowers, if any, in cool tones (white, pink, purple, blue)

- Strong 4-season form or foliage but not too showy or flashy (I need a backup player, not a superstar)

- Not sturdy enough to climb on (I like to leave those tall windows open at night, weather permitting)

- Okay in foundation planting and near utility lines

- Can tolerate full sun and compacted acidic soil

In the fall I decided on either a Black Lace sambucus or Black Beauty, but winter has made me decide that the winter form of those plants won't be strong enough.

I looked at skyrocket juniper and the tall skinny arborvitaes, but they are too rigid in form. Crepe myrtle is too showy in the summer. Flowering crabs, redbuds and dogwoods are good candidates for the right form and fee, but they are too big.

Right now I am looking at the small magnolias like Rustica Rubra, Jane, Judy and Betty. My neighbor has one and while it's attractive in the spring I don't see it as an ideal foundation plant. I've also debated trying to train one of the larger loropetalum varieties (perhaps Zhuzhou) into a tree.

Any other ideas? Or comments on the ones I am looking at now?