Ginkgo

Industrial Crop: Medicinal Management: Coppice Management: Standard Minor Global Crop Staple Crop: Balanced carb Landscape Uses:Firewood, Pest tolerant, Specimen, Street tree. Succeeds in most soil types so long as they are well-drained, though it prefers a rather dry loam in a position sheltered from strong winds. Some of the best specimens in Britain are found growing on soils over chalk or limestone. Plants flower and fruit more reliably after hot summers or when grown in a warm sunny position. Established plants are drought resistant, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution. Plants can grow in poor hard-packed soil, making the male forms good candidates for street planting. Trees are often used for street planting in towns, only the males are used because the fruit from female plants has a nauseous smell. The fruit contains butanoic acid, it has the aroma of rancid butter. Ginkgo is a very ornamental plant and there are several named forms. This species is the only surviving member of a family that was believed to be extinct until fairly recent times. It has probably remained virtually unchanged for at least 150 million years and might have been growing when the dinosaurs were roaming the earth. It is exceptional in having motile sperm and fertilization may not take place until after the seed has fallen from the tree. This genus belongs to a very ancient order and has affinities with tree ferns and cycads. The ginkgo is usually slow growing, averaging less than 30cm per year with growth taking place from late May to the end of August. Growth is also unpredictable, in some years trees may not put on any new growth whilst in others there may be 1 metre of growth. This variability does not seem to be connected to water or nutrient availability. Trees are probably long-lived in Britain, one of the original plantings (in 1758) is still growing and healthy at Kew (1993). Plants are not troubled by insects or diseases, have they evolved a resistance?. Ginkgo is a popular food and medicinal crop in China, the plants are often cultivated for this purpose and are commonly grown in and around temples. Plants are either male or female, one male plant can pollinate up to 5 females. It takes up to 35 years from seed for plants to come into bearing. Prior to maturity the sexes can often be distinguished because female plants tend to have almost horizontal branches and deeply incised leaves whilst males have branches at a sharper angle to the trunk and their leaves are not so deeply lobed. Branches of male trees can be grafted onto female frees in order to fertilize them. When a branch from a female plant was grafted onto a male plant at Kew it fruited prolifically. Female trees have often been seen in various gardens with good crops of fruit[K]. Seeds are marked by two or three longitudinal ridges, it is said that those with two ridges produce female plants whilst those with three ridges produce male plants. Trees can be coppiced. They can also be pruned into a fan-shape for growing on walls. Another report says that the trees dislike pruning and will often die back as a result. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Fragrant flowers, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms, Flowers have an unpleasant odor. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 3. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a standard with a non-suckering single trunk [1-2]. Ginkgo biloba trees are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees. Male trees are preferred for planting since female trees produce fruit with a strong odour when ripe. Therefore, they are not self-fertile. Seeds are typically harvested in Autumn when they are ripe. Ginkgo trees flower in Spring, although the flowers are not very showy and are often overlooked. Ginkgo biloba is a slow to moderate grower, typically reaching a height of 20-35 meters (65-115 feet) and taking several years to establish before significant growth occurs. It may take 15-20 years to produce seeds.

Edible Parts: Oil Oil Seed Edible Uses: Oil Oil Seed - raw (in small quantities), or cooked. A soft and oily texture, the seed has a sweet flavour and tastes somewhat like a large pine nut. The baked seed makes very pleasant eating, it has a taste rather like a cross between potatoes and sweet chestnuts[K]. The seed can be boiled and used in soups, porridges etc. It needs to be heated before being eaten in order to destroy a mildly acrimonious principle. Another report says that the seed can be eaten raw whilst another says that large quantities of the seed are toxic. See the notes above on toxicity for more details. The raw seed is said to have a fish-like flavour. The seed is rich in niacin. It is a good source of starch and protein, but is low in fats. These fats are mostly unsaturated or monosaturated. A more detailed nutritional analysis is available. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Oil Oil Soap Wood Agroforestry uses: Ginkgo trees can be used for shade, street trees, and ornamental purposes in landscapes. Their leaves can also be used as mulch to enrich soil. An oil from the seed is used as a fuel in lighting. A soap substitute is produced by mixing the pulp of the seed (is the fruit meant here?) with oil or wine. Wood - light, soft, it has insect repelling qualities. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen: No – Ginkgo is wind-pollinated, and its flowers do not produce nectar to attract pollinators. 2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting): Yes – The seeds (from female trees) are consumed by some wildlife, though the strong smell of the fruit can deter some animals. The tree’s dense canopy can provide shelter for birds and some wildlife. 3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover): Yes – The rough bark and leaf litter can provide overwintering sites for invertebrates. However, it is not typically used for groundcover. 4. Pest Confuser (Smell): No – Ginkgo trees do not produce a pest-confusing scent, although the fruits can emit a strong odor when they fall.

Heimisch: BR, China Southeast, Germany [c]; England [I] (England [I], Wales [I], Scotland [I]); Slovakia [I]; Hungary [c]; Channel Isl. [c] [I] (Alderney [c], Guernsey [c]); Slovenia [c]; Croatia [c]; Serbia; Kosovo [c]; European Turkey [I]; Turkey [I] (Anatolia [I]); China (NW-Zhejiang); South Korea [c]; Japan [I]; Taiwan [I]; Nepal [I]; Myanmar [I]; USA [I] (District of Columbia [I], Kentucky [I], North Carolina [I], New Jersey [I], New York [I], Pennsylvania [I], Virginia [I]); Mexico [I]; Peru [I]; Bolivia [c], Global, Jardin Botánico de Bogotá, NO, North America, TR, Vermont-US, conterminous 48 United States, Área urbana de Bogotá, D.C. Jardín Botánico José Celestino Mutis – Sede central Eingeführt: AM, Austria, Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, China North-Central, China South-Central, Flemish Region, France, Great Britain, HR, Hungary, IN, IR, IT, Illinois, Italy, JP, Japan, Korea, RO, Romania, SE, TW, The Netherlands, Walloon Region