GARDENING - Gingko biloba

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Telegraph

Branch lines: the maidenhair tree (Filed: 27/10/2001)

Best trees for the garden. This week David Wheeler on the tree that is thought to decorate willow-pattern plates

Vital Statistics

MY first encounter with the maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) was at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, where I frequently sought refuge during the final months of an unhappy relationship in the late 1970s. There are five growing there, and a male and a female, planted in about 1900, stand close to the statue of Sir Hans Sloane (who acquired the garden in 1722) and are about 45ft tall today.

In recognition of those "healing" hours spent at the garden, I planted three ginkgos - one multi-stemmed - when I began my arboretum last year. In two growing seasons, they have gained just 15in in height. As they should have developed a reasonable root system, I expect them to accelerate.

The ginkgo is ancient: fossil records of one form show it was spread over large areas, including Europe, immediately before the Ice Age. It is one of the few deciduous conifers and its leaves are immediately recognisable - fan-shaped, with a central notch that attempts to make two leaves, hence "biloba". These leaves turn a glorious buttery yellow in autumn, before falling in October.

The word ginkgo is a Japanese rendition of one of the tree's Chinese names; and the sole representative of the genus is native to just a few places in China, where it is regarded as sacred. The ends of the branches tend to be pendulous, which caused Sir David Prain, a former director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, to consider it to be the tree that decorates willow-pattern plates.

Ginkgos have proved successful in many parts of the world, and their economy of space and tolerance of pollution make them ideal for city streets. However, the foul-smelling pulp that surrounds the ripe seed on female trees in October makes you think that no one has bothered to clean up after Fido.

In addition to the true species grown in Britain since the 1750s, there are several cultivars. 'Fastigiata' is a slimmer tree with semi-erect branches, while 'Tremonia' is described as "narrowly columnar". There are also long-established pendulous and variegated forms.

Newer selections include 'Saratoga', with a more slender leaf, and 'Tubifolia', whose leaves are rolled in at the edge. The equivalent of a national collection is held by Bomer's nursery at Zundert in Holland.

Vital Statistics

Name Ginkgo biloba

Type hardy

Soil and aspect any

Height and spread approximately 70ft x 30ft at maturity

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

Answers

what a beautiful tree. Would love to see it yellowing in Autumn.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

I took some gingko this morning!

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

When I was growing up in Ohio, a neighbor across the street had one of these trees. WOW, does the "fruit" STINK!!!!! We used to call it the "Vomit tree". Pretty, but.... eeeccchh.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

So get a male tree!

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

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