Ginkgo Biloba Trees

This is a case where plant taxonomy agrees with everyday lingo. The scientific name for these plants, Ginkgo biloba, is more commonly used than the common name, "maidenhair-trees." An alternate spelling is, "gingko biloba."

Ginkgo biloba trees are broadleaf, deciduous trees. They are also dioecious.

Grow Ginkgo biloba trees in planting zones 4-9.

Ginkgo biloba trees reach 50'-80' in height, with a spread of 30'-40'. Their uniquely fan-shaped leaves start out green but morph into a golden fall foliage. Before the whole leaf turns golden, there's sometimes a stage that I especially enjoy, during which the leaf is two-toned, with separate bands of gold and green.

While you should plant Ginkgo biloba trees in full sun to partial shade, they are not fussy about their soil, so long as it is well-drained.

Ginkgo biloba trees are attractive enough to function as specimen plants, particularly because of their golden fall foliage. Ginkgo biloba trees are disease-resistant and tolerate urban pollution. The latter quality make them sensible choices for planting along city streets, where they can grow into tall shade trees. At the other end of the spectrum, Ginkgo biloba trees are also used for Japanese bonsai.

Whether for city streets or people's yards, the male trees are preferred. Female trees bear a fruit-like product which, after dropping on a street or driveway, not only emits a foul odor, but is also slippery. The fruit is about the size of a cherry tomato (see picture). "Autumn Gold" is a popular male cultivar.

"The ginkgo is the oldest tree in the world," states Botanical-Online, noting that Ginkgo biloba trees are the lone survivor of a "family that existed more than 200 million years ago" and kept company with the dinosaurs in many parts of the world. However, Ginkgo biloba trees eventually vanished in most regions.

In historical times, the Ginkgo biloba tree's origin is the Far East. The Ginkgo Pages Web site relates that Ginkgo biloba trees had survived in China, where they were mainly found in monasteries "in the mountains and in palace and temple gardens, where Buddhist monks cultivated the tree from about 1100 AD for its many good qualities." Plant collectors from the West eventually were sold on Ginkgo biloba trees and brought specimens home.

The tree's "good qualities" included medicinal and culinary uses, exploited for centuries in both China and Japan. Roasted nuts from Ginkgo biloba trees have long been considered a delicacy in their native China. The trees medicinal qualities are now recognized in the West, too. Treatment for short-term memory loss is just one of many medicinal uses for the extract derived from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba trees.

More on Trees With Colorful Fall Foliage

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Fall Foliage of Birch Trees
Fall Foliage of Dogwood Trees
Fall Foliage of Japanese Maple Trees
Fall Foliage of Maple Trees
Fall Foliage of Oak Trees
Fall Foliage of Sumac Trees
Fall Foliage of Hickory Trees
Fall Foliage of Sweetgum Trees
Fall Foliage of Tulip Trees