New Feature: Foliage Friday - Ginkgo Tree

Since this blog is called "Amyluvstrees" and I love plants and work at a Forest Preserve, I thought it would be fun to do a feature called...

Foliage Friday!

Each Friday I am going to pick a plant that I love and share it with you. Maybe you will be inspired to plant it in your yard to make it more green. :)

Plant: Ginkgo biloba


Why: Ok, this one is sort of obvious, but I have to start off with this one! It is my absolute favorite tree and was one of the trees in the unit of my woody landscape plants class that sealed my new love for plants. It has a very unique leaf, very different from other trees. Also, it is one of the oldest trees that has been found as a fossil, approximately 270 million years ago.

Picture: Unique leaf


The leaves of the ginkgo tree are very unique in the fact that they have fan-shaped leaves, with radiating veins. Also, the leaves usually also have a notch in them between some veins, which makes them also easy to identify. They have a lovely light green to dark green color in summer, and turn a vibrant yellow in fall.

Landscape info: Ginkgos adapt very well to urban landscape areas, as they can tolerate pollution, soil compaction, drought, and small soil spaces. They do not have many (if any) documented disease or insect problems. They are also a great shade tree when they reach maturity! They can be found planted in street medians or alongside roadways.

Other uses: I'm sure you've heard that ginkgo can be used in supplements for short term memory lost. The medicine is extracted from the leaves. Also, roasting the fruits from the trees is considered a delicacy in China.

Fun facts: There are some ginkgo trees that are believed to be over 1,500 years old and are still standing in China today! In fact, it is a very common tree in China. Female ginkgo trees produce a round, fleshy fruit... which unfortunately smells like a stinky diaper. Be sure to buy a male plant if you are interested in planting this tree! This smelly fruit also gives the ginkgo tree the nickname "Stinky Tree." In Japan, it is rumored that gingko trees planted near the 1945 atom bomb explosion were the only living things that survived. Even though they were charred, they healed and were strong, healthy trees again. Amazing!


Hope you enjoyed this first edition of Foliage Friday! Hope to see you again next Friday for some more foliage fun. :)


Some information found from: http://www.arborday.org, http://landscaping.about.com, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba