Fascinating leaves are grown on this unique tree that has been around for over 200 million years. Last one of a kind the Ginkgo has no close relatives. Now famous for its extracts and herbal remedies it is also a revered tree in the Buddhist religion.

Key Features of the Maidenhair Tree

• Latin name Ginkgo biloba other common names Pin Yin, Kew tree or Japanese silver apricot
• Height Up to 100 feet very long lived.
• Type of tree – Deciduous the only surviving species of its kind from 200 million years ago
• Leaves – Fan shaped green leaves aging to yellow
• Flowers – Male catkins are yellow in bunches. Female on another tree are green on stalks
• Fruit – Greenish-yellow plum like fruit with a fleshy coating and edible kernel.
• Bark – Grey Brown
• Family Ginkgo a one off

Origins and Distribution of the Maidenhair Tree

• Origins over 200 million years ago but now grow wild in China, Japan and Indonesia.
• Widely planted in Buddhist temples and now grown as a specimen tree around the world..

Uses and Attributes of the Ginkgo

• Seen as a symbol of longevity, hope and unity.
• The finely grained wood is used for carving.
• Extract from the leaves and fruit are used herbally.

Gardeners Tips for the Ginkgo

• During autumn the leaves turn a bright yellow and quickly fall.
• Sunny well-watered and well-drained sites are needed to grow a Ginkgo in your garden.
• With stands an amount of pollution.

Other types of Ginkgo

• There are no living relatives Ginkgo are often referred to as living fossils.

Ginkgo comments from elsewhere

• The old popular name “Maidenhair tree” is because the leaves resemble some of the pinnae of the maidenhair fern.
• Ginkgos are dioecious, with separate sexes, some trees being female and others being male. Male plants produce small pollen cones (Wikipedia).
• The Ginkgo Pages is a dedicated website for the tree

Credits
ginkgo by ivva CC BY-SA 2.0
Ginkgo leaf by monteregina CC BY-NC-SA 2.0