Try some plants with standout bark to make things interesting after the leaves fall. Paperbark maple trees (Acer griseum ... although they aren't native species in the U.S., they don't spread ...

has shaggy bark, and has brown, pointed buds. Similar non-native species: Amur maple (Acer ginnala) is a small tree, has much smaller, narrower leaf shape, and has toothed leaves.