The ginkgo is one of the oldest tree species on the planet and is also known as the "living fossil". You can find out from us where the ginkgo tree comes from and how it is cultivated.
The ginkgo occupies a very special position within the plants, because it is neither a coniferous tree nor a deciduous tree. We present the primeval plant and give tips on planting, caring for and using the ginkgo tree.
Ginkgo: flower, leaf and properties
As early as 250 million years ago, the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) developed in the primeval forests of the Permian. It would take another 100 million years for the first deciduous trees to appear. In contrast to many tree species that are now extinct, the ginkgo survived the era of the dinosaurs, the development of the first birds and was still widespread in Central Europe about 30 million years ago. The Ice Age finally pushed the primeval tree to warmer regions in China. It was there that botanists and plant lovers discovered the ginkgo tree and spread it around the world again. It is the only living member of the ginkgo family (Ginkgoaceae). There is therefore no selection of ginkgo species, but there are some ornamental forms and varieties.
Ginkgos are medium-sized trees that reach a height of 15 - 30 m and grow 10 - 15 m and more in width. It grows about 35 - 40 cm in height every year. The bark is grey-brown and heavily grooved, the wood of the ginkgo is light yellow. Because of the striking leaves and seeds, the ginkgo is also known as the fan leaf tree, duck foot tree or silver apricot.
Ginkgo Leaves
The leaves of the ginkgo are distinctively fan-shaped and long-stalked, deeply notched in the middle and lobed laterally. They feel quite thick and coarse. In spring, the deciduous ginkgo shows light green foliage, which turns golden yellow in autumn.
Ginkgo Blossom
On a ginkgo plant there are either purely male or purely female flowers. Male ginkgoes form long, inconspicuous catkins that spread their pollen with the wind.Female trees show their single flowers on long stalks between April and May when the leaves emerge.
Ginkgo Fruit
Botanically speaking, ginkgoes do not form fruit, but hard seeds with a fleshy, silvery-yellow seed coat. These are only formed on the female trees and deter many with their unpleasant smell of butyric acid. That is why almost exclusively male ginkgos are planted in gardens. In September, the 2 - 3 cm large seeds fall from the tree, the stinking seed coat rots and the edible stone core remains.
The most beautiful Ginkgo varieties
In addition to the wild form, there are numerous ornamental forms to choose from, which are purely male and therefore do not produce any unpleasant-smelling fruits. However, all varieties have a sunny yellow autumn colour. We introduce you to the most beautiful Ginkgo varieties.
- ‘Fastigiata’: Few branching, stiff, upright variety with a growth height of up to 20 m and a width of up to 4 - 8 m when old. As a young plant, this variety is rather slow-growing.
- ‘Fastigiata Blagon’: This selection originated in France around 1980. The compact and upright tree reaches a final height of 10 - 15 m, in exceptional cases up to 20 m. The variety is ideal as a standard tree and for cramped planting sites, as it only grows to a width of 2 - 4 m.
- 'Horizontalis': The broad, slightly hanging habit of this ginkgo variety forms a sprawling, protruding crown when it is about 3 - 4.5 m high and wide.
- 'Mariken': Dwarf ginkgo with a dense, spherical crown and very weak growth of only about 10 cm per year. This variety reaches its final height at 1.25 - 1.5 m and up to 2 m in width.
- 'Pendula': Hanging ginkgo up to 20 m tall and 15 m wide. This graceful, vigorous Ginkgo form forms a broad crown and is best planted alone.
- 'Princeton Sentry': Medium-sized tree to over 20 m tall with a narrow and conical crown. The variety is resistant to air pollution and exhaust fumes, making it an ideal city tree for greening roadsides.
Plant Ginkgo
Ginkgos are not affected by diseases in Europe and can still tolerate severe air pollution, wind and drought. The robust andtolerant tree loves sunny to shady locations. The ideal location for ginkgos is moderately dry to moist soil with a pH between 5 and 7. Deep, permeable and nutrient-rich substrates promote the growth of the primeval tree. The adaptable plants can be grown as a spherical ginkgo standard, bonsai, in an umbrella shape or as a trellis. Depending on the growth form and training, they require different planting distances. Stately trees in solitary position should have a distance of 6 - 7 m to other plants in all directions. Narrow forms can be assembled up to 2 - 3 m. The exact growth sizes of the individual varieties can be found in the above description of the variety. The best time for planting the frost-sensitive young plants is in March, before the young leaves sprout.
Planting ginkgo in the garden
If you want to plant a ginkgo tree, you should first loosen and dig up the soil deeply. The primeval plants have deep roots and therefore need a well-prepared planting hole. If necessary, some compost can be mixed into the excavated earth to provide nutrients and food for microorganisms. Now place the root ball of your ginkgo in the planting hole, no deeper than it was before. Then the planting hole is filled with the soil mixture, lightly compacted around the root ball and provided with a watering rim. To secure the tree, drive two stakes into the ground upwind and downwind and tie your ginkgo in place with a rope. Finally, water vigorously to flush soil to the roots.
Plant ginkgo as a bonsai or in a pot
Only slow-growing ginkgo varieties such as 'Mariken' are suitable for long-term keeping in pots. Ginkgos can also be raised as delicate bonsai trees. When planting a ginkgo tree in a pot or in a bonsai pot, we recommend using high-quality potting soil, such as our Plantura organic universal soil. It supplies the ginkgo with important nutrients in the initial period after planting and, thanks to the high compost content, stores sufficient moisture. In order to avoid waterlogging, a drainage layer of about five centimeters made of gravel, sand or expanded clay should also be filled in at the bottom of the pot. Now fill in some potting soil, place the ginkgo tree in it and add soil. Then the substrate is slightly compacted and then watered extensively. The ginkgo should be allowed to move to a larger pot about every two to three years.
Ginkgo tree care
As long as the ginkgo has not yet rooted deep enough, it should be watered. When keeping buckets, an adequate water supply must always be ensured, especially in dry and hot summers. When watering ginkgos in pots and bonsai pots, make sure that excess water can drain off easily and that no waterlogging forms. Ginkgos are undemanding garden dwellers that require little maintenance. The situation is different with pot culture. Only a limited amount of soil and therefore nutrients is available here. Ginkgos in planters should therefore be fertilized regularly. Organic liquid fertilisers, such as our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertiliser, are particularly suitable for this. The fertilizer is applied regularly together with the irrigation water from March onwards and provides your ginkgo with the two main nutrients nitrogen and potassium quickly and efficiently.
Spring is the right time to prune the Ginkgo that tolerates pruning. As long as the tree is still young, the crown can be thinned out and raised as desired. However, pruning is not absolutely necessary.
Ginkgos grown as bonsai should be cut back again and again to maintain their small shape. As soon as a fresh long shoot with 5 - 6 leaves has formed, it is cut back to two leaves. When pruning bonsai, avoid large wound areas, it is better to cut young and thin shoots regularly.
Ginkgo propagation
Ginkgos are propagated by seeds or cuttings. When sowing ginkgo seeds, the seed coat must first be removed and the dormancy broken by a longer period of cold - because they are cold germs. Later, the seeds are allowed to germinate at about 15 - 20 °C on a bright window sill in nutrient-poor seed soil. However, this can take up to two years. Both male and female ginkgoes can develop here. Alternatively, in summer you can cut 10 - 15 cm long cuttings from the fresh, soft shoot tips of an existing tree. These are defoliated to the tip and placed in a sandy cultivation substrate. The ginkgo cuttings must always be kept moist at around 20 °C for several weeks until roots have formed.
Is the ginkgo hardy?
The ginkgo is very hardy, it only shows as a young plantsomewhat sensitive to frost. Freshly planted ginkgo trees should therefore be given good winter protection made of jute or fleece in the first few years. Trees in pots should be wintered frost-free, bright and cool every year.
Effect and use
In pharmacy, preparations and tea are prepared from ginkgo leaves. They have a blood circulation-enhancing and vasodilating effect. Symptoms of depression, certain forms of dementia, headaches, tinnitus or arterial occlusive disease can be alleviated effectively. Ginkgo and ginseng are found together in many preparations to increase memory. However, only the ginkgo leaf is used here.
Few people know that the seeds without the foul-smelling pod are edible. From September, the mature seeds that have fallen from the tree can be collected and freed from the seed coat. Then you roast the hard seeds, crack them and enjoy them like chestnuts. In China and Japan, ginkgo seeds are considered a delicacy and, like nuts, are served as a snack between meals. Traditional Chinese medicine uses extracts of the seeds together with the seed coat to treat asthma, tuberculosis and kidney diseases.
Is ginkgo poisonous?
Ginkgos are non-toxic in all parts for humans and animals. The seeds are edible, the leaves are made into teas or herbal medicine. However, excessive consumption of fresh leaves can lead to digestive problems and mild symptoms of poisoning such as nausea and headaches.
The fleshy, smelly seed coat contains skin irritants and allergenic substances. If you want to harvest the tasty seeds, you should wear gloves when collecting and cleaning them.
If you want to raise a ginkgo as a bonsai, you need a lot of expertise. In our Bonsai pruning article, we explain the various pruning measures so that the mini trees can be raised successfully.