I wouldn't presume to think that my favorite might be the same as that of someone else, but I can make an observation for your consideration: When you consider the choice of a tree, consider that you will only enjoy blooms for about 2 weeks of the year. Even if the tree is breathtaking while in flower, perhaps the larger consideration is what the plant looks like for the 50 remaining weeks. Too, correctly matching the tree to the site is of paramount importance.

Good luck, and welcome to GW. ;o)

Al

Al is so right! Although depending on which you choose, you might have as long as a month of bloom - that still leaves 11 months of no-flowers. Everyone has their own way to handle this fact, including just accepting it [que sera, sera]. One of my favorite trees was a huge pink dogwood (it finally succumbed to old age at 50+ years) which bloomed for about a month. I surrounded it with small azaleas and blueberries (these bloomed earlier, and later) and planted an impatiens border for a summer show. The dogwood and blueberries have a wonderful fall color, so I feel I got 3 seasons of color plus winter interest [from the berries] from the planting.