Ginkgo Tree

The Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) is a very old tree, with fossil records of its current form dating back to 60 million years ago (Gibbens, 2020). It has ancestors dating back even further, up to 260 million years back. It is unique for its fan-shaped leaves and beautiful fall foliage. Its fall yellow color tends to attract visitors. It is a rather adaptive tree and can tolerate harsh conditions such as heat, poor air quality, salty soil, and confined growing space, making it a highly planted street tree in many US cities (Arbor Day Foundation, n.d.). Ginkgos help reduce the urban heat island effect within cities and help sequester carbon dioxide from the air. Ginkgos are hardy and are naturally immune to many pests and diseases than all other trees, so they are often planted because they are not usually problematic. They can grow in a variety of different conditions, but do not handle very hot, arid conditions well. Fossils of the tree have been found among North American and Europe, but in the modern era, are native only to China. The ginkgo is either male or female and does not self-pollinate. The female ginkgos produce seeds that smell rather bad; accordingly, ginkgos planted within cities are usually only of the male variety (Gibbens, 2020). These trees are also unique because there are only 5 types of seeding plants, and the ginkgo itself is one of those 5 categories (Cohn, 2013). It is the only living member of its lineage and therefore is the one species that is in that category.

The ginkgo was discovered and described by Westerners in the 1600s while they were trading in Asian ports. The trees arrive in Europe by 1750 and in the United States by the 1780s (Crane, 2019). Ginkgos were brought to the United States mostly because of their attractive, unique foliage. While they have medical and supplemental use now, that is not why they were originally brought to the United States. The first ginkgos were cultivated in Philadelphia; they quickly took over cities in the East and now have made their way West as well. They are a popular choice for street trees because they are beautiful, they can withstand more difficult growing conditions than other types of trees, and they are not susceptible to pests or diseases. 

Ginkgos don’t tend to have a lot of issues because they are hardy and grow easily as street trees. As mentioned above, ginkgos are not abundant in the wild anymore, so it is important that humans are planting them to preserve the species. However, there is a lot of talk that ginkgos are actually overplanted in many areas, including the United States. Because they are beautiful and hardy street trees, they are becoming very common. This may be an issue because it reduces the biodiversity of trees within cities (Kimmerer, 2014). Compared to other native trees, ginkgos do not provide habitat services that wildlife are attracted to; other trees would be better for wildlife. The fruits are not eaten by much besides squirrels. I was unable to find any information about any agencies or organizations that are dedicated to ginkgos. There is a 1,400-year-old ginkgo that is located in a temple courtyard in Xi’an, China, that has been placed on the country’s protected list of ancient trees (Global Times, 2019). I also cannot find any information regarding the protection of “wild” ginkgos in China. The other issue with ginkgos is the female trees' fruit. The fruit smells like vomit and is obviously very displeasing to anyone in the vicinity of the tree. Because the trees are rather immune to most pests and diseases, they are not killed off easily by either and are not facing any type of decline. The biggest issue associated with ginkgos is overplanting.

Chassagne, F., Huang, X., Lyles, J. T., & Quavel, C. L. (2019). Validation of a 16th century traditional Chinese medicine use of Ginkgo biloba as a topical antimicrobial. Frontiers In Microbiology, 10(775),  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00775 .

Cohn, R. (2013, May 1). The life story of the oldest tree on earth. Yale Environment 360.  https://e360.yale.edu/features/peter_crane_history_of_ginkgo_earths_oldest_tree 

Crane, P. R. (2019). An evolutionary and cultural biography of ginkgo. Plants People Planet, 1, 32-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.7

Ginkgo. (n.d.). Arbor Day Foundation. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from  https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=1092 

Kennedy, C. (2018, November 26). Ginkgo's story, part two: A tree renowned for its beauty & usefulness. Seattle Japanese Garden. https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/2018/11/26/ginkgos-story-part-two-a-tree-renowned-for-its-beauty-amp-usefulness 

Kimmerer, T. (2014, October 20). Ginkgo trees are lovely - let's stop planting them. Planet Experts. http://www.planetexperts.com/ginkgo-trees-urban-biodiversity/ 

Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Ginkgo. Mayo Clinic.  https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-ginkgo/art-20362032 1,400-year-old ginkgo tree goes viral. (2019, November 13). Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1169907.shtml

1,400-year-old ginkgo tree goes viral. (2019, November 13). Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1169907.shtml

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