We have a Japanese maple in front of our house and it is beautiful. I hear they are hard to grow when you first start them, but it was there when we moved in, so we are in luck!
Oh you can't ask me to choose!! I love so many different plants that it would be difficult to choose just one. I know that I'd love to have a Bird of Paradise plant, an orange, lime, lemon and peach tree. Lilacs, butterfly bushes, (I already have some but want more, greedy me. ) and more acers. Oh dear I think I'd better stop there.
I guess my pick would be a huge mature Oak tree. We had large oaks at our last home in the woods and all over the yard and now we don't have a one. We have maples here and all the trees are small yet..I miss the big mighty oaks...but I do love every plant and all kinds of trees, bushes, etc....hard to pick really...Sherry