October

Plant of the Month

Maidenhair Tree

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba can grow to be a huge, bold-textured, urban-tolerant shade tree that is also one of the oldest trees, having lived on Earth for over 150 million years. . Ginkgo is derived from the Japanese word ginkyo, meaning "silver apricot", referring to the fruit, which is eaten in Japan. Biloba translates as "two-lobed", referring to the split-in-the-middle of its fan-shaped leaf blades. At one time it was thought to be extinct, however, ginkgo was discovered in China in the mid-1700s and is now dispersed throughout the world.

The leaves are medium green and obovate (fan-shaped), up to 3" long, with a petiole that is also up to 3" long; this shape and the elongated petiole cause the foliage to flutter in the slightest breeze. There are pendulous pistillate flowers on 2" peduncles on female trees in March and April. This species may not flower nor fruit until it is about twenty years old. Very urban tolerant and fall color on selected cultivars is a clear solid yellow.

One bad characteristic of the Gingko tree is the foul odor of the fruit. It is probably the worst thing you will ever smell. Fortunately, Ginkgo sold today are all males.

  Size: Slow growing to 60-90 feet, but specimen
trees in open areas can get much larger.

Habit: large deciduous shade tree •an upright columnar, sparsely branched, and open growth habit in youth, usually becoming an upright oval to upright spreading and dense growth habit with maturity, but sometimes becoming highly irregular and picturesque in its branching with age.

Bloom Season: Will not bloom or fruit until it is
around twenty years old.

Culture: Full sun to partial sun prefers moist, deep, sandy soils but is very adaptable to stressful situations, including poor soils, various soil pHs, soil compaction, heat, drought, salt spray, and air pollution (and is therefore very urban tolerant)

Utilization: A large shade or specimen tree;
large size, and bold accent in the landscape. Too big
for street tree use.

Propagation: Cuttings from male cultivars grafted
onto seedling understock, or by seed. More info on propagation.

Disease and Insects: Virtually free of disease
and pest problems

Climate Range: Zone 3 to 8; Native to China . If you are not sure of your climate range, see map.

Cultivars:Ginkgo biloba

  • 'Autumn Gold' - Golden-yellow fall color, with a broadly pyramidal growth habit at maturity; male, compact form maturing at 50' tall by 30' wide
  • 'Princeton Sentry' - nearly columnar form, being slightly wider at the base, male, about 70' tall by 10' wide.
  • 'Fastigiata' - another columnar form
  • 'Lakeview' - Compact conical form

'Plant of the Month' Archive
Hosted by The Stabile Company