Ginkgo Tree Facts

The ginkgo tree is one of the most unusual tree species in the world. The ginkgo tree has survived on the planet since the Jurassic age. The ginkgo tree is therefore known as a 'living fossil'. The name ginkgo is derived from a Japanese word gin that means 'silver' and kyo meaning 'apricot. The name refers to the silvery apricot like fruit of the ginkgo tree. The ginkgo tree is able to survive polluted environment and is therefore commonly planted near streets and roadside in cities. The ginkgo tree has a great ability to adapt and therefore maybe it has survived even after the dinosaurs perished. Let us see some ginkgo tree facts in the following paragraphs.

Ginkgo Tree Facts

The ginkgo tree has no living relatives of plant species and can be traced back to millions of years. It has been seen that ginkgo trees are no longer found to be growing naturally in wild. The ginkgo trees that grow all around the world were planted by men some time or the other. The ginkgo tree is similar to redwood and sequoias, as they can survive for many, many years. Let us see some more ginkgo tree facts.

Ginkgo Tree History
The ginkgo tree history is long and ancient. The ginkgo tree was widely found all over North America and China. After the ice age, the ginkgo tree got completely wiped off from North America. Today it is still found in the Zhejiang and Guizhou Provinces in Central China. The ginkgo tree is considered as a sacred tree in China and Japan. The Chinese have used ginkgo tree parts in their traditional Chinese medicine. The Ginkgo tree again made its way to North America during the 18th century. Since then, the ginkgo tree has flourished as street tree and shade tree.

Ginkgo Tree Information
Let us now see some interesting ginkgo tree information. The ginkgo tree or Ginkgo biloba is the only tree that belongs to the plant family Ginkgoaceae. The ginkgo tree belongs to the gymnosperms or non-flowering plant group. Thus, it is closer to conifers and cycads genetically.

The ginkgo tree can reach a height of 40 to 80 feet when mature with a canopy of 30 to 40 feet. The ginkgo has a cone like shape when young and becomes more irregularly rounded as it ages. The bark is smooth and gray in a young plant and becomes ridged and brown as it becomes older. This deciduous tree is a dioecious species, that is, the tree has separate male and female trees. The male trees have cones and look like drooping fingers. These cones are called catkins that shed pollen in mid-spring. The females have naked green ovules hanging on their branches. When these ovules get pollinated by wind, they develop fleshy seeds of translucent yellow-orange color in autumn. These fruits have a smelly pulp. The ginkgo tree will bear fruit only after 15 to 20 years of age.

The ginkgo tree can grow in partial and full sun and needs at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. They can grow in a deep sand base soil that is well-drained but moist. These trees are known for their adaptability and tolerance. They can grow in all types of soils with different pH and composition. They are also known to be tolerable to cold, drought, salt spray, heat, compacted soils and even air pollution. Therefore, it is a popular tree species to be grown in cities. They are good to be grown in USDA zones 3 to 9.

Interesting Facts About Ginkgo Trees

• The ginkgo biloba tree can grow for thousands of years and one found in China is said to be over 3, 500 years old.
• Ginkgo tree is a symbol of changelessness and immeasurable past.
• The ginkgo fruit is smelly with slippery flesh.
• The IUCN Red List of Endangered Plants has listed the ginkgo tree as endangered.
• Ginkgo tree is known for its funny shaped leaves. The ginkgo leaves are triangular fan-shaped and have a central notch in the middle of leaf blade.
• These medium green leaves occur in tufts in short spurs over the branches. They turn golden-yellow in autumn and fall off in winter.
• An interesting ginkgo tree fact to note is that it was the sole survivor of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima, Japan during the US bombings in 1945. There were four trees that were charred, but survived and are still said to be alive and flourishing.
• Another intriguing fact about ginkgo trees is that its bark and leaves are said to secrete a sap that is thought to have fire-retardant properties.
• In 1923, during the great fire after the earthquake in Tokyo, ginkgo tress were the ones which survived when other trees were burned to the root.
• In Japan, the leaves of ginkgo tree are used as bookmarks, as they are known to protect the books from silverfish and booklice. The leaves contains chemical properties against these pests.
• There is a special meaning attached to ginkgo tree in Confucianism. As it is said, Confucius spent hours thinking, reading and writing under the ginkgo tree.
• There are no natural diseases that infect the ginkgo tree and the tree does not seem to have problems with insects either. This may be one of the causes of its longevity.
• Ginkgo is thought to be an aphrodisiac and contain properties that help improve attention and memory under traditional Chinese medicine.

These were some of the facts about ginkgo tree that are really intriguing to know. You can plant a ginkgo tree in your yard and see it flourish in your lifetime and be sure it will continue to grow long after you are gone. I hope this article on ginkgo tree facts has helped you learn some fascinating information regarding this tree.