14. Ginkgo biloba, Maidenhair Tree

 

Ginkgo biloba, female in fall color - notice the fruit, lower left

Ginkgo biloba, fan shaped leaves

Ginkgo biloba, typical male tree form with spring branch

Fan shaped gingko leaves in alternate arrangement

 

14. Maidenhair Tree, Gingko biloba

Artist’s Note:

The gingko tree, a living fossil as we know it, first appeared in the middle Jurassic period. Imagine dinosaurs grazing at LBH&G. Two large specimens, both male, live near the main entrance walkway. Female gingko trees are usually only found in collections, as the seeds have a disagreeable odor. Casting deep shade in the heat of the summer and complex bare branch patterns in winter, these very hearty and extremely decorative trees are stunning members of the arboretum. 

In spring, bright green leaves burst from gray branches but it’s the brilliant saffron-gold color of its fall display that is like no other tree. Resistant to pollution, pests and diseases, these two trees should be with us for a very long time. In China, the oldest living specimen is around 3000 years old. To quote author Dean Crane, “Gingko: The Tree That Time Forgot.”

Vulgo: Maidenhair Tree

 

Name: Gingko biloba

 

Family: Ginkgoaceae

Habit: Tree

Height: 115 ft (35 M)

Native to: China

 

Leaf shape: Simple or lobed

 

Shape: Fan-shaped

Margin: Lobate 

 

Venation: Radiating with dichotomous venation

 

Surface: Leathery

 

Size: 2–4 in (5–10 cm) 

 

Arrangement: Both alternate and whorled on spur growth

 

Pen and ink: Amber R Turner © 2020