I never really took notice of Apple Trees before, because I don't really like eating apples (I had braces on my teeth as a teenager, need I say more?!). But after having walked around a few nurseries today, I have to admit, their leaves are rather attractive, apart from the fruit that they produce. And the little flowers are beautiful/fragrant, no? Since I am still looking for the perfect companion tree (for my purple leaf plum, which I adore!) for the other side of my front yard, I'm wondering if apple will fit the bill?

From what I've read, the Anna variety that I'm considering tolerates heat pretty well. Mine would be getting full sun because even though it would be on the north side, it's going to be closer to the street than my house. Fortunately, I do have grass to help keep things a little cooler on that side.

Now on to the aesthetic questions:

1) My other front yard tree is a Purple Leaf Plum, which to me has very much the appearance of a cottage-y tree, will having an apple tree preserve that feel in my front yard, or does it end up looking too citrus-y? Does it even matter if I use 'mixed-media' in my yard? What say you landscaping, artists?! What are the rules? lol To me, an apple seems like it would be more of a classic tree with a nice canopy and single trunk, no?

2) Will an apple tree get too big? Don't want it to overpower the rest of my yard. Slow growing or fast?

3) Is an apple tree one of those that's going to look miserable the whole summer, regardless of how well I take care of it?

Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated!