Plant ID: Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba)


Product Detail

Product Tags



Genus: Ginkgo
Species: biloba
Family: GINKGOACEAE
Common name: Maidenhair Tree, Ginkgo
Plant type: Deciduous
Origin: South-eastern China

Habit/form:

Traditionally you will find G. biloba categorized with coniferous trees, but it is not a conifer, although it does have a naked seed similar to conifers and cycads (gymnosperm) but that seed is inside a fleshy fruit. The Ginkgo make-up an order of a single family of a single genus and single species.

The Ginkgo seems to be a virtually unchanged plant since its emergence in the Jurassic Period. Fossil evidence shows that the Ginkgo we know of today are the same kinds of Ginkgo growing 180 million years ago.

It is listed as “distinct in the wild”, generally meaning we do not find any naturally growing, all specimens we are aware of are from cultivation. With that being said, there are some masterful old specimens still growing/living in China. A noble subject around monasteries, well respected, fruit is considered a delicacy since ancient times.

G. biloba is a great looking deciduous tree, slender and erect when young aging to a conical dome with good balance of thick trunk/trunks, can have multiple leaders, and main branches, branches can be weighted/heavy and some pendulous habit, younger branches can have a fine-shedding bark. Bark is rough/coarse, textured and grainy, also has a range of furrow depth/grooving, can have transverse lenticles. Bark colour ranging in grey-brown.

Ginkgo can grow up to 40m height and 30m wide, can find ranges of size from as little as 10m height and 13m wide, slow growing, long lived, full sun, protect from strong winds, handles the cold, tolerates some frost, deep moist soils.

Leaves:

A simple, small/handheld fan-shaped leaf, up to 80mm long and 100mm wide, new growth can be yellowish-green, maturing to bright green, and then turning vibrant yellow in Autumn. The leaf is usually as 2 equal lobes, some more pronounced than others, and has a slender petiole up to 100mm long connected to the ends of short lateral spurs. The leaves are held in bundles of 3-5 per spur. The spurs can remain on the branches even after the leaves have fallen off.

Flower:

Dioecious, inconspicuous, catkin-like, green, flowers in Spring, usually obscured by the foliage.

Fruit:

Solitary or paired drupe, obovoid, about 30mm long and wide, pale green ripening to dull yellow/yellow. Can have a terrible odour when ripe. Inside is a single cream ovoid nut about 20mm long. The seeds have been eaten throughout time.


  • Previous:
  • Next:

  • Write your message here and send it to us

    related products