ORNAMENTAL TREES ADD FLOWERS, FRUIT AND FRAGRANCE.(HOME)

Byline: ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST

OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER are the best months of the year for planting trees in this area.

Most new homes have a shortage of trees, and now is the time to plant.

Oaks and maples have some good points, but look beyond them to the ornamental trees that bloom, have fruit or are fragrant.

Among the trees that deserve to be planted more often are zelkova, Chinese pistache, golden rain tree, disease-resistant crab apples, Japanese persimmon and Prunus mume, the winter-blooming Japanese apricot.

The Japanese persimmon (shown on Page G1) provides large, colorful, edible fruit.

It's very …