biloba - Ginkgo or Maidenhair (Ginkgoaceae) ------ is a large, bold-textured, urban tolerant malodorous fruits shade tree whose female form produces foul-smelling -for this reason, male clones grafted onto seedling fruit. understock are preferred as landscape Twigs FEATURES -stout, with many short spur shoots occuring along Form the older stems and branches -large shade tree -stems are tan, light brown, or gray, becoming -the species form usually matures thready on second-year stems at about 80' tall x 60' wide under -the relatively smooth tan branches are somewhat urban conditions, but specimen reflective in the winter sun trees in open areas can get much, Trunk much larger -the light brown to brownish-gray bark is deeply -an upright columnar, sparsely furrowed and highly ridged with age branched, and open growth habit -the tree usually loses its central leader and gives rise in youth, usually becoming an to several vertical trunks that keep ascending to great upright oval to upright spreading heights growth habit with maturity, but -trunk may get up to 3' or more in diameter with age sometimes becoming highly irregular and picturesque in its branching with age USAGE -medium growth rate Function Culture -shade, specimen, or focal point tree -full sun to partial sun -sometimes incorrectly used as a street tree due to its -prefers moist, deep, sandy soils in full sun, but is extreme urban tolerance, but much too big (even in very adaptable to stressful situations, including poor stunted and columnar cultivar form) for this usage soils, compacted soils, various soil pHs, heat, Texture drought, winter salt spray, and air pollution (and is -bold texture in foliage and when bare therefore very urban tolerant) -open to thick density in foliage and when bare, due -propagated primarily by cuttings from male cultivars to the widely-spaced main branches and the density grafted onto seedling rootstock, but also by seed of mature trees vs. the openness of saplings (gender may not be known for twenty years) Assets -virtually free of disease and pest problems -long-lived shade tree, often maturing at a very large -moderate availability in B&B form size Foliage -very urban tolerant -medium green and unusually obovate (fan-shaped), -bold texture, with a growth habit of great character up to 3" long, with a petiole that is also up to 3" long; leaves flutter in the slightest breeze this shape and the -autumn color on selected cultivars is a clear solid elongated petiole yellow cause the foliage Liabilities to flutter in the -female trees have copious fruits that are quite messy slightest breeze and possess a foul smell (similar to vomit) -alternate along -with age, growth can become irregular or get out-of- the terminal stems, hand in restricted areas, including its very large, tall, but clustered on and spreading habit with maturity, plus the tendency the numerous of some trees to have branches crossing the trunk; short spur shoots definitely not a shade tree for the small urban yard -the leaf blade Habitat apex is sometimes -Zones 3 to 8 entire, but often -Native to China has a single vertical slit in the top center (hence the specific epithet biloba); rarely, 2 slits occur, yielding SELECTIONS 3 lobes Alternates -veins are slightly raised (giving a ribbed appearance -large, urban tolerant shade trees (Corylus colurna, to the foliage) and usually dichotomous (forked) Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis, Platanus x -autumn color is usually yellowish green, but may be acerifolia, Populus deltoides, Quercus rubra, etc.) and excellent golden-yellow in good years, or yearly Cultivars – Variants – Related species with certain cultivars selected for dependable autumn -cultivars are always selected for non-fruiting color character (male trees); thereafter, for better autumn Flowers color and/or modified growth habit -dioecious (male and female flowers are borne on -G. biloba 'Autumn Gold' - more dependable golden- separate trees, with cultivars selected for male yellow autumn color, with a broadly pyramidal fruitlessness) growth habit at maturity; male, with more compact -pendulous catkins on male trees pollinate the form, maturing at about 50' x 30' pendulous pistillate flowers on 2" peduncles on -G. biloba 'Princeton Sentry' - nearly columnar form, female trees in Mar. and Apr. being slightly wider at the base, used architecturally -species may not flower until about 20 yrs. old for a vertical accent; male, about 70' x 10' Fruits -on female trees, the tan-orange oval fruits are Note: G. biloba is one of the oldest trees still living pendulous from the spur shoots, often produced in on Earth; it is a deciduous . great abundance and becoming a mushy mess in Sept. and Oct., covering the ground with fleshy, strongly