The ginkgo biloba tree, commonly called the Maidenhair tree, is a large, slow-growing shade tree with a distinctive, fan-shaped leaf. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html The tree is of an upright, columnar shape with brown and gray bark that is deeply furrowed and which will ridge as it ages. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html Once thought to be extinct, the tree was re-discovered in China in the mid-1700s and is now found world-wide.http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html

The ginkgo is believed to have been on earth for 150 million years. It is considered sacred in Japan and is often planted near temples.http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html The name of the tree is derived from the Japanese work "ginkyo" meaning "silver apricot", a word which refers to the fruit which is eaten in Japan. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html “Biloba’’ means “two-lobed” in reference to the fan-shaped leaves. The tree was introduced to the U.S. in 1784. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html It is the only tree to have survived the bombing of Hiroshima.http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html

The ginkgo tree may be male or female with most of the ornamentals planted being male. The male tree produces two-inch catkins, while the female produces a tan and orange-colored, oval-shaped fruit.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html The female may take up to 20 years to flower and produce. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html In the fall, the leaves of the ginkgo will turn chartreuse, but they may also turn golden-yellow during some years.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html

The ginkgo may be used as a street tree due to its hardiness and urban tolerance; however, it may grow too large for this application. It is the most common tree found along Manhattan sidewalks.http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html It may also be used as a shade tree, a specimen, or a focal point in landscaping.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html

The seeds and the leaves of the ginkgo have been used in traditional Chinese medicine over the years.http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html

The ginkgo biloba prefers full to partial sun for optimal growth and likes moist, deep, sandy soils. The tree is adaptable to stressful situations and will grow in soils that are compacted and in soils with varying pHs.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html The ginkgo is also tolerant to salt spray, pollution, heat and drought.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html It is hardy in USDA zones 3-9.http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/ginkgo_biloba.html

The ginkgo is propagated by cuttings from the male trees which are grafted onto seedling rootstock.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html The trees may also be propagated by seed; however, the male and female trees will not be able to be differentiated for up to 20 years.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html

The ginkgo tree can be found in ball and burlap form for planting.http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html They may be planted in the ground in USDA zones 3-9, or grown in containers on a patio. If planted in the ground, the hole should be twice the size of the ball and compost or grit should be placed at the bottom. The surface of the root ball should be about one inch below the soil surface.http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/GrowingGuideGinkgos.htm

The heavy pruning of the ginkgo should be done in January to February.http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/GrowingGuideGinkgos.htm Light trimming may be done in the summer. On a variegated gingko, some shoots may occasionally revert to green and may be pruned out as they appear.http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/GrowingGuideGinkgos.htm

The female ginkgo tree will produce fruit that can be harvested and eaten.http://www.treesforyou.org/Selection/Articles/ginkos.htm Harvesters wear rubber gloves and prepare the seeds by washing themin water and drying them thoroughly. The seeds are then cracked and boiled to prepare the nut for eating.http://www.treesforyou.org/Selection/Articles/ginkos.htm When the seeds are boiled, an inner skin falls off, revealing the yellow kernel, which is eaten.http://www.treesforyou.org/Selection/Articles/ginkos.htm

The ginkgo is virtually free of disease and pest problems.http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html It has a high tolerance for harsh conditions and will grow in areas of high air pollution. http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/ginkgo.html The fruit produced by the female tree has a very bad odor and may be messy. http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/gi_iloba.html