Ginkgo
Scientific Name: Ginkgo biloba

Common Names: Ginkgo, Maidenhair tree

Family: Ginkgoaceae (Ginkgo family)

Native Range: Native to China; naturally occurring in only a few locations; widely planted worldwide

Typical: 20–25 m tall

Maximum recorded heights: ~25 m

Trunk Diameter
Average: ~50–80 cm
Maximum: ~80 cm

Growth Rate: Slow to medium

Lifespan:
Typical Lifespan: Several hundred years
Record Age: Over 1,000 years (documented in cultivated trees)

Seed Maturity (age at which it starts producing viable seeds): ~20–30 years

Reproductive Cycle (how often it produces seeds..e.g., every 2–3 years): Annually once mature

Soil Preferences (preferred soil type..e.g., sandy loam, well-drained): Well-drained soils; highly adaptable to poor or compacted urban soils

Water Needs (moisture requirements..e.g., drought tolerance): Moderate; drought tolerant once established

Canadian & USDA Hardiness Zones: Canada: Zone 4 | USDA: Zones 3–8

Bark:
Young trees: Ash-gray, shallowly fissured
Mature Trees: Darker gray, rough, deeply fissured

Needles (or Leaves)
Number per bundle: N/A
Length: ~7 cm wide
Shape: Fan-shaped, often with one or more notches
Colour: Bright green in summer; vivid yellow in autumn

Cones: N/A (not a conifer despite cone-like pollen structures)

Seeds:
Size: ~3 cm long
Dispersal: Gravity; seeds fall beneath tree

Growth Form
Shape: Medium-sized tree with upright, narrow crown when young
Height: Up to ~25 m

Reproductive Features
Flowers:
Male: Pollen cones (catkin-like), on male trees
Female: Ovules borne in pairs on stalks, on separate trees
Pollination: Wind
Seed Maturity: Autumn of the same year

Unique Features:
Living fossil; only surviving species of its division; fan-shaped leaves with dichotomous (forking) veins; extremely resistant to pollution, insects, and disease

Fire Resistance: Low to medium

Fire Regeneration: Poor; not fire-adapted

Shade Tolerance: Low to moderate (prefers full sun)

Strength Rating: Moderate

Decay Resistance: Moderate

Pest/Disease Resistance: Very high; virtually pest- and disease-free

Climate Adaptability: Excellent; highly tolerant of urban pollution, road salt, heat, and cold

Uses:
Timber (construction, furniture, etc): Limited; wood not commercially important
Non-timber products (e.g., resin, wildlife habitats): Seeds (kernels) used as food in East Asia; ornamental and urban street tree

Ecological Role:
Importance for wildlife (e.g., food for squirrels, birds): Limited in North America; seeds occasionally eaten
Role in forest ecosystems (e.g., stabilizing soil, providing canopy): Primarily ornamental; not a major native ecosystem component

Cultural Significance:
Historical Use: Sacred temple tree in China; seed kernels historically traded and consumed

Threats:
Ginkgo trees are common in cities and gardens, but truly wild ginkgo populations are rare and threatened, surviving naturally in only a few areas of China.