Gingko
(Gingko biloba)
Interesting Information About Plant:
When it comes to the Ginkgo biloba, it has a pretty interesting history. The Ginkgo tree is the oldest living tree in the world and the only surviving member of the Ginkgo family. Because of this the tree is referred to as a ‘living fossil’. It supposedly has been around since the time of the dinosaurs, and one tree in China is about 3,500 years old. The tree species is native to Southeast Asia, but was brought over to the US in 1784. Some meanings behind the word Ginkgo, “silver apricot”, and biloba, two-lobed”, which comes from a Japanese origin. The seed of the Ginkgo is used for food, especially soup, the wood is used for religious furniture, and the leaves and nuts are used for medicine. The Chinese and Japanese use Ginkgo in their Buddhist practices and have planted it around shrines and temples. Asian cultures also use Ginkgo frequently in their gardens and often plant it after an important life event.
Over the years Ginkgo has been used for many things in the medical area. It has been used as an herb to help with memory improvement and increase the blood flow rate in capillaries and arteries. It has even been proven to fix some forms of erectile dysfunction. It is used to treat or help with so many different problems it would take a couple of pages to explain all them. The leaves of the tree can be toxic if large doses are eaten. The fruits are generally grown on the female trees and animals don’t tend to eat them like some fruit trees. They can cause skin disorders, mucous membrane irritations, and can cause intracranial hemorrhages. The Ginkgo likes to thrive in soil pH around 3.7-7.0. It has a dichotomous venation and tends to be seen in cities lining the streets.
Scientific Name: Ginkgo biloba
Family Name (Scientific and Common): Ginkgoacea
Continent of Origin: Southeast Asia
Plant Growth Habit: Tree
Height at Maturity: More than 10 Feet
Life Span: Perennial
Seasonal Habit: Deciduous Perennial
Growth Habitat: Partial Sun
Manner of Culture: Landscape Shrub-Vine-Tree
Thorns on Younger Stem: No
Cross Section of Younger Stem: Roundish
Stem (or Trunk) Diameter: More Than The Diameter of a Coffee-Mug
Produces Brownish Bark: Yes
Bark Peeling in Many Areas: No
Characteristics of Mature (Brownish) Bark: Bumpy
Type of Leaf: Thick, Fleshy Leaf……
Length of Leaf (or Leaflet): Between the Length of a Credit Card and a Writing-Pen
Leaf Complexity: Palmately Compound……
Edge of Leaf: Smooth
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf has Petiole: Yes
Patterns of Main-Veins on Leaf (or Leaflet): Parallel
Leaf Hairiness: No Hairs
Color of Foliage in Summer: Green
Change in Color of Foliage in October: Changes to Yellow
Flowering Season: Spring
Flowers: Single
Type of Flower: Like a Pine Cone……..
Color of Flower: Green
Shape of Individual Flower: Other
Size of Individual Flower: Between a Quarter and the Length of a Credit Card
Sexuality: Male and Female Flowers on Separate Plants
Size of Fruit: Between a Quarter and the Length of a Credit Card
Fruit Fleshiness: Fleshy
Shape of Fruit: Spherical
Color of Fruit at Maturity: Yellow-Orange
Fruit Desirable to Birds or Squirrels: No
Common Name(s): Maidenhair Tree, Tempelbaum
Louisville Plants That Are Most Easily Confused With This One: None Found
Unique Morphological Features of Plant: Fleshy Fan Shaped leaves…..
Poisonous: Part of Plant
Pestiness (weedy, hard to control): No
Page prepared by:
Ryan Triplett & Amber Overstreet November 2004
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