Common Name: maidenhair tree
Type: Tree
Family: Ginkgoaceae
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 40.00 to 50.00 feet
Spread: 25.00 to 30.00 feet
Bloom Time: April
Bloom Description: Green (male)
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Shade Tree, Street Tree
Leaf: Good Fall
Tolerate: Deer, Clay Soil, Air Pollution
Noteworthy Characteristics
Ginkgo biloba is a large, deciduous tree that matures to 100' tall and is considered to be a living fossil. It is the only surviving member of a group of ancient plants believed to have inhabited the earth up to 150 million years ago. It features distinctive two-lobed, somewhat leathery, fan-shaped, rich green leaves with diverging (almost parallel) veins. Leaves turn bright yellow in fall. Ginkgo trees are commonly called maidenhair trees in reference to the resemblance of their fan-shaped leaves to maidenhair fern leaflets (pinnae). Ginkgos are dioecious (separate male and female trees). Nurseries typically sell only male trees because female trees produce seeds encased in fleshy, fruit-like cone which, at maturity in autumn, are messy and emit a noxious, foul odor upon falling to the ground and splitting open.
Genus name is a misrendering of the Japanese gin meaning silver and kyo meaning apricot used in Japan in the 17th century.
Specific epithet means two-lobed in reference to the leaves.
'Autumn Gold' is an all-male cultivar typically growing at maturity to 40-50' with a symmetrical, broadly spreading habit. Leaves turn a uniform golden yellow in autumn (spectacular when backlit by early morning or late afternoon sun) and persist for several weeks. When the leaves do drop, they drop rapidly, forming a golden carpet around the tree. Ginkgo is also commonly called maidenhair tree, which refers to the resemblance of the fan-shaped leaves to maidenhair fern leaflets (pinnae).
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Usually slow growing, with initial growth being somewhat sparse.
Uses
Excellent selection for a variety of uses, including lawn tree, street tree or shade tree. Also effective in city parks or near commercial buildings.