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Often referred to as a fossil tree or maidenhair tree, Ginkgo Biloba has many traits that set it apart from all other plants. These traits also have played a role in the survival of the species such as its resilience to pests, long life, and high fertility rates of its seeds. These trees are extremely resilient to air pollution and fires reducing death tolls of the species during catastrophic events. However, despite its beneficial traits it was it was thought to be extinct until about 100 years ago. Ancient specimens were found in a secluded area in China and were used to produce new trees. These seedlings were dispersed around the world and now ginkgoes, although uncommon, are not too rare if you know where to look.
In traditional medicine the ginkgo was believed to help circulation and reduce forgetfulness. It is exceptional at treating mental maladies like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Though, as medicine it is used mainly in Europe rather than in the U.S. It is one of the most prescribed botanical extracts in the European market. Studies have shown that the extract from the leaves and seeds have positive effects regarding conditions from asthma and bronchitis to erectile dysfunction.
Although the Ginkgo is deciduous, it is more closely related to pines than to any broadleaf trees. It is one of the few deciduous conifers along with the dawn redwood, and the bald Cyprus. The cones it bears are generally too small to notice but the classification doesn’t change because of it.
Ginkgos are also unique because of the fact that they are dioecious; this means that they possess gender. Female and male aspects of the species differ between plants rather than between the parts of a single plant. Male trees possess pollen forming structures while the female trees bear flowers and fruit. Female ginkgos are rarely grown purposely however, because the fruit they bear smells of rotting carrion.
Most ginkgos for commercial sale are grown from cuttings taken from male trees to ensure cleanliness. The cuttings take root easily but pruning scars take a great deal of time to heal, so care must be taken while trimming. They grow slow after the initial rooting or sprouting but will live a great deal longer than most trees if good conditions exist. The oldest specimens are nearly one-thousand years old. Due to their resilience on so many threatening fronts they make sturdy beautiful shade trees in any yard. They even put on a show in the fall presenting a brilliant display of yellows and golds just before the cold of winter begins and the leaves fall. Many of the cities on the east coast of the United States are known for the fall color of their abundant Ginkgoes.
In the oriental art of bonsai, these trees are common subjects. Often they are older in pots than in the ground. Large stalactite structures that form on full-grown trees can be taken as cuttings which produce decent bonsai in a much shorter time span than traditional bonsai that involves immature seedlings.
The most remarkable Ginkgoes however, are those few that were located near the epicenter of the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast and survived while so much other life was lost. In 2008 there were still four of these surviving trees. They didn’t even have any visible deformity after they rebudded after their initial leaf loss. The trees are now a symbol of hope to the Japanese people that lost so much August 8, 1945.