Is our yard too small for a large dappled-light tree or should we go for a standard apple tree?

Hi. I’d like to plant some trees in our backyard in western Montana (Zone 5). We originally had a standard apple tree in the backyard that recently came down from old age. I have thought about putting up another standard apple tree in the same SW corner of the yard, but part of me wonders if a large dappled shade tree would work back here with several dwarf fruit trees along the east side of the yard. The photos I’ve posted are facing south. We get a lot of very bright sun in our yard that hits our patio full blast from lunch to dinner time. It’s be nice to have a partially shaded patio but we can build a pergola for that one day. Any suggestions for whether our yard is too small for a dappled shade tree? If not then what tree would you choose? Or do you think a standard apple would be a better option with several dwarf fruit trees on the east (wood fence) side of the yard? I plan to fill the yard in with some raised bed gardens, shrubs, flowers/smaller plants and some more diverse ground cover. But first I need to make a decision about what and where the biggest tree in our yard will be. I don’t want to create complete shade in our backyard. We want to able to grow lots of things. We enjoy the summer sun, just want some respite.
I appreciate any suggestions you have.

*The first photo is south facing and the second photo is the west side of our yard where there are some lilac trees.

I personally prefer larger fruit trees, as they generally have better root systems and are generally a lot healthier that dwarf trees.

You could graft a few varieties onto a standard apple tree and get multiple kinds of apples on one tree, which should help a lot with pollination too!

Best of luck!

Thank you, Steve. Grafting is a great idea!