Tree of the Week: A “Living Fossil” -- the Amazing Ginkgo Tree

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Good Morning, and welcome to our Saturday morning reminder of one of the reasons it’s great to live in L.A.: the world-beating climate that gives us such terrific trees.

From our tree-loving friend Pieter Severynen:

Maidenhair tree –- ginkgo biloba

‘A living fossil dating back 270 million years, the ginkgo tree is a lonely leftover from dinosaur times. It might have become extinct had it not been preserved in small temple groves in China.

‘The unique, fan-shaped leaves with a little notch in the middle make it look like a broadleaf tree, but its pollination and fruiting habits tell us that is actually a gymnosperm, related to conifers and cycads.

‘Gawky in youth and slow to moderate in growth, the tree eventually becomes a beautiful pyramid, 35 to 70 feet tall and about half as wide. The leaves turn a stunning golden yellow in fall before dropping. Some Asian cuisines consider the fruit a delicacy, but here its rancid butter smell is thought to be malodorous enough that only grafted male trees should be planted.

‘Urban ills, air pollution and insects don’t normally bother this amazing tree; it can get centuries old, and extracts of the leaves may have healthful or medicinal properties.

Thanks, Pieter. Do you have a favorite tree, flower, bush or shrub that merits notice? E-mail lalandblog@yahoo.com.
Contact Pieter: PlSeve@earthlink.net
Photo Credit: Imaginatorium.org