Ginko Biloba

Family: Ginkgoaceae

Species: Ginkgo biloba L.

Common name: Ginko or Ginco - English: (commonly called Maidenhair Tree)

Etymology

The genus Ginkgo derives from the Chinese Yin-kyo, meaning “silver apricot,” referring to the fleshy outer layer of the ripe seeds, emitting a strong, unpleasant odour. The species name biloba refers to the two-lobed, fan-like shape of the leaves (from the Latin bis and lobus). Charles Darwin called this tree a “living fossil,” it remains so regarded: its origins date back 250 million years to the Paleozoic Era. It is the only extant species in the Ginkgoaceae family and unquestionably the oldest living seed plant.

Description

A tree that can reach 30–40 m in height, with a crown up to 9 m wide, pyramidal in young plants and more oval in older specimens. The trunk, which has scattered branches when young, becomes thicker in adulthood. Its main limbs often extend at about a 45° angle, and the wood is yellowish. Short twigs grow on these branches, bearing the leaves and reproductive structures.

The bark is smooth and silvery on young trees, turning grey-brown or dark brown with pronounced fissures as they mature.

Its deciduous leaves (5–8 cm long) have a notably long petiole and a light green blade. In autumn, they assume a striking bright yellow hue. Typically fan-shaped, many leaves are slightly bilobed, with numerous dichotomous veins branching out from the base. The leaf shape can vary depending on position and age.

As a gymnosperm, G. biloba does not produce actual flowers. Instead, it has structures known as cones or strobili—or, in this case, modified scales. It is a dioecious species, meaning male and female structures grow on separate plants, pollinating via wind.

• Male cones appear in catkins.

• Female structures are born on a longer peduncle, topped by one (or sometimes two) yellowish swellings containing a “naked ovule,” i.e., one lacking an ovary.

Flowering occurs in spring, but fertilisation happens months later, typically early winter, after the ovules have fallen and the outer layer has begun to decompose. The gametes are ciliated and motile, similar to those of mosses, ferns, and algae. Seeds germinate epigeally (above ground).

G. biloba favours sunny exposure and cool conditions, tolerates a range of soil types (preferring acidic, non-marshy soils), and does not respond well to pruning since cut branches often die back.

Habitat

Native to China, Korea, and Japan, it was introduced to Europe in the 18th century.

Properties and Uses

Ginkgo has soothing and nourishing properties that are beneficial for skin care, making it popular in cosmetics designed for dry, dehydrated, or reddened skin.

In Asian cuisine, the seeds (Pa-Kewo, Pakgor, or Ginnan) are traditionally eaten cooked, served as a side dish, or included in various recipes.

Notes and Curiosities

The most eye-catching feature is the fan-like leaf, whose veins radiate from the petiole, often forming a slight central notch that divides it into two lobes. Its vibrant autumn yellow further highlights this unusual shape.

The discovery of Ginkgo as a living species astonished early botanists. With origins dating back 250 million years to the Mesozoic Era, it is far older than most extant flora. For comparison, the majority of the modern plant landscape does not predate the last Quaternary glaciations—merely a few thousand years ago.

In the Heller garden, these trees are tall and simple, softened by the delicate, fan-shaped leaves that flutter in the lightest breeze.