Ginkgo biloba

Garden Clippings for June 21, 2025

               History wasn’t my favorite course in high school, and that was despite having an amazing teacher.  When he asked why my interest in History was mediocre, I gave him an honest answer.

               “You can’t change history”, I argued, “but we can do something about Geography.”

               Fifty years later I am uncovering a new appreciation for History.  Case in point is my fondness for Ginkgo trees, the oldest living tree species in the world.  Back in my university days I learned that Ginkgoes date back to an era long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. 

               Ginkgo, botanically known as Ginkgo biloba, is a tree that is as unique as it is old.  Its fan shaped leaves are like no other tree.  Ginkgoes are in a family or class of their own, with no close relatives. 

               Take a look at Ginkgo leaves and you will see there is no network of veins.  Instead, all veins are parallel to each other, like grass or corn.  Leaves are not large: about the size of half a dollar bill, often split into two lobes.  The leaf colour is true green, turning to striking gold in autumn.    

               Often used as a street tree for municipalities, Ginkgoes are highly adaptable and will readily grow in tight urban environments where soil is poor.  Gingko trees become tall, always with a straight main stem.  Their branches extend outward with unique form, while the tree does not grow wide. 

               Ginkgoes are dioecious, meaning the male and female reproductive parts are found on separate trees.  To produce fruit, both male and female plants need to be in the same area.  When buying Gingko trees, it is difficult to find female plants because nurseries avoid females due to their unpleasant smell when fruit drops and rots. 

               Like many trees, horticulturists have bred cultivars of Gingko with desirable characteristics to suit the appetite of home gardeners.  Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’ is large growing with improved golden colour in autumn.  ‘Princeton Sentry’ has a narrow growth habit and suited for tight locations.  ‘Gold Spire’ is a compact slower growing variety with a smaller size at maturity.

               For a dwarf Ginkgo with the same unique leaves as its larger cousins, ‘Mariken Globe’ is a winner, growing only 1 meter high with slightly greater width.  It is also available in a small tree form, with a lollipop shape.