Ginkgo trees are sacred trees planted around shrines and temples in China. They do not flower but have male and female plants with male catkins and long stalked ovules.

Leaves of Ginkgo

• The deciduous leaves are  fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade.
• The sculpted leaves are usually  2-5 inches  long borne on short woody shoots.
• The old popular name “Maidenhair tree” is derived from the leaves.
• The green leaves turn buttery yellow in autumn.
• Ginkgo leaf extract is used to treat a variety of  conditions, including memory loss, asthma, bronchitis,  and tinnitus

Growing Tips for Ginkgo

• Most trees available in the UK are male. They grow 50-150 feet tall.
• Ginkgo biloba do not tolerate shade and grows best in environments that are well-watered and well-drained.
• Ginkgo retains a prodigious capacity for vegetative growth. One tree in Hiroshima regrew after the atomic bomb.
• Ginkgo is capable of sprouting from buds near the base of the trunk. It also can develop aerial roots.
• Fossils dating back 250 million years testify to the longevity of the species.

Read more on
‘I can not tell a lie I chopped down the….’ Ginkgo Bilboa after I chopped down the Cherry Tree! What George Washington did for Cherry Trees, Americans are now doing to fruiting Ginkgo trees.
The putrid smell of the rotting fruit and pungent seeds is causing their delicate nostrils to twitch and the power saws to come out of the closet.
Several American cities have begun removing female ginkgo trees because of their unsavory smell. The fruit smells because its coating contains butyric acid, which is also found in rancid butter, cheese, vomit and body odor. (Sounds like night scented socks).

British plantings preferred the fruit free, male form and seldom use the trees on streets and paths. Ginkgo can grow to more than 60 feet tall and quite wide. The leaves are fan-like and are used in making herbal medicine.
The Ginkgo has a long history with fossils dating back 250 million years but it seems the American trees will not be allowed to last that long!

<strong>Tips</strong>
Plant as ornamental trees for yellow Autumn leaves and an interesting form.
Buy a male variety if you want to avoid the fruit.
Often named the Maidenhair Tree do not let the American experience put you off.
A useful tree to train as a Bonsai