What tree?
By Jayner
United Kingdom 
Last year we reluctantly had to have a flowering cherry tree cut down in our garden after it had become sick. We are looking for another tree to plant in exactly the same place. The garden is not huge so something 15' to 20'. We dont want the canopy to be too low so as to throw a huge area into shade so something like the traditional tree a child might draw. We are thinking possibley a fruit tree but only have room for one. Any ideas?
13 Aug, 2009
Answers
You can get some quite compact fruit trees now that give good fruit production. A semi dwarf variety will grow about 15 feet. You can get dwarf cherries, apples, pears and other varieties. Have a wander around your local garden centre and see what is available.
13 Aug, 2009
Be aware that most fruit trees require another of a different variety but similar flowering time to get any fruit. Check if any of your neighbours have a fruit tree, otherwise you will have blossom but no fruit
13 Aug, 2009
Most trees will grow big in time stealing light and water.
Rowans seem to stay small I have one which after 10 years has stayed quite slim and about 20ft high lovely red berries after flowering and fern light foliage which is not to shady.
Of course there are several cherries to choose which take years to become too big, but apart from blossom they are not much the rest of the year.
p.s My laburnum after 7 years is huge so needs plenty of room and very dence causes lots of shade.
13 Aug, 2009
By the way, I think I'd avoid replanting a cherry or any description, or any other kind of Prunus - you don't say what killed the existing cherry, but if you don't know, and it was a disease, it might well be still present in the soil.
13 Aug, 2009
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These aren't fruit trees, as such, but they are smaller trees for you to check out: Malus, Crataeagus, Sorbus, Laburnam or, not a tree quite, but has more than one trunk, so counts as a large, woody shrub, Amelanchier lamarckii.
13 Aug, 2009