Ginkgo biloba

Object Details

Description

During the Jurassic era, forests of ginkgo-like trees blanketed the ground with their thick leaves. Now, fossils of those leaves are the only evidence we have of relatives of the ginkgo. Until 1690, it was thought by Europeans that fossils were the only evidence of ginkgos overall. That year, the German botanist Engelbert Kaempfer saw the tree in a Japanese temple garden, and the tree was spotted again in China the next year. Samples of the tree were collected, and news of this beautiful plant spread. The tree was given the scientific name Ginkgo biloba, due to the split nature of the leaves the tree produces on its long shoots. As only one type of leaf was collected, the fan-like shape of its other leaf type was undocumented for some time. Eventually, ginkgos became very popular as urban street trees due to their hardiness and beauty – with one caveat. The ginkgo is one of many types of trees that have separate male and female individuals. While the males produce showers of pollen, this is considered manageable when compared to the female's stinking fruit. Although edible if cleaned and processed, ginkgo fruit that has ripened and fallen to the ground can have a scent comparable to cat urine. For this reason, landscapers try to avoid planting female trees. Smithsonian Gardens has a single female tree, as an example.

Hardiness

-40 - 20 F

Bloom Time

Catkins and ovules produced in April.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Nut-like gametophyte is eaten in China and Japan.

Medicinal / Pharmaceutical

Leaves are used medicinally.

Provenance

Uncertain

Accession Number

2011-0954A

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Life Form

Deciduous tree

Average Height

40-80'

Bark Characteristics

Gray to brown, ridged

Bloom Characteristics

Males produce 1" long catkins. Females produce green, naked ovules.

Dioecious

Yes

Fall Color

Yellow

Foliage Characteristics

Green, simple, alternate, lobed, and fan shaped. Leaves of long shoots usually notched or lobed. 2-3" long. Leaves grow on spurs in clusters of 3-5. Have a thick, leathery texture.

Fruit Characteristics

Naked, fleshy, oval seed, grows in clusters of 2-6, and ripens to orange or tan color. Has a foul odor. 1-3". Edible.

Structure

Conical when young, spreads with age.

Range

S China

Habitat

Moist, sandy, well-drained soils

See more items in

Smithsonian Gardens Tree Collection

On Display

National Museum of Natural History

Common Name

Ginkgo Tree

Maidenhair Tree

Group

[vascular plants]

Class

Equisetopsida

Subclass

Ginkgoidae

Order

Ginkoales

Family

Ginkgoaceae

Genus

Ginkgo

Species

biloba

Smithsonian Gardens

Topic

Trees

Living Collections

Record ID

ofeo-sg_2011-0954A

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ax7a10abeb4-12a4-4e3c-a61a-bd50dfee495f