What tree should I get?

[Zebbie]

I am looking for a city garden tree with the following features:
- around 5m high (ideally not taller than 2 storeys), ideally mostly achieved within ~5 years if planted already ~2 years old.
- once mature, having a distinct trunk without branches or foliage for the first six foot or so from the ground and then a narrow and fairly dense column shape above.
- useful for wildlife: ideally edible nuts or berries (not soft fruit - it needs to replace a pear tree that was too tall to harvest/beloved by birds and therefore dropped partly-pecked pears everywhere)
- deciduous trees seem most likely to have an exposed trunk and berries that birds can eat?

I have been looking at native trees such as hazel (but it looks like it tends to be more of a shrubby bush than a 'tree') and rowan (but the traditional 'tree' shaped ones seem too big and the 5m column ones look bushy right from ground level). We already have ornamental cherry and apple, pear and elder also grow well nearby. The lower part of the trunk would be shaded by a fence but once past that, there is full sunlight.

 

[Meadowlark]

To grow in your area of UK?

There are several Forum members from UK here that are better suited to answer your question than this Texan...how about it UK members?

The first thing I thought of when reading your question was "Pecan" (Carya illinoinensis) which can grow tall and have a clear trunk up to six feet. They produce nuts loved by wildlife like squirrels and birds. Some varieties, like Pawnee, Choctaw, and Stuart, are more tolerant of cooler climates and can be better suited for the UK.

Another good option would be the Chestnut Tree (Castanea spp.) which often grow tall with a distinct trunk and produce nuts that are beneficial for wildlife. Varieties such as the Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) and the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) fit.

Thirdly, the Walnut Tree (Juglans spp.) can develop a clear trunk and provide nuts that are valuable to wildlife. The English Walnut (Juglans regia) is particularly well-suited to UK.

How about it UK members? @Oliver Buckle you still here? @Sean Regan ?

 

[Sean Regan]

We've had this sorbus for nearly thirty years, small white blossoms in the spring.

Lots of red berries in the autumn. Still there long after the leaves have fallen.

It's not particular fast growing, it was around 6ft when we bought it. It's now around 20ft. But it's ideal for small gardens.