Ginkgo: Eldest Tree Survivor
University Outreach Publication
There is one family of trees which saw the rise and fall of dinosaurs. This same family of trees barely survived the last ice-age. Ginkgo has become a tree without a home -- an exotic wanderer scattered across the globe. Every botanical garden and arboretum worthy of its title has at least one ginkgo tree. Cited as a living fossil, a cultural icon of the orient, and a tree both bizarre and fascinating, ginkgo shares our world today due solely to human cultivation. Its botanical uniqueness, food content, and medicinal values assure people will continue to cultivate this most ancient of trees. This publication will outline the curiosity surrounding ginkgo from its name to its wood. Appreciating a living ginkgo standing in the sun can be enhanced by understanding its ecological history, biology and structure. Here myths will be discarded and rumors quenched regarding the ginkgo tree, in order for you to grasp the priceless and timeless genetic qualities of Ginkgo biloba.
(FOR03-18) September 2003
Kim D. Coder
2003
School of Forest Resources University of Georgia
Athens, GA
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Genetics, Identification, Landscape Design, Maintenance Specifications, Nursery, Planting, Selection (tree), Selection (tree), Species Selection, Growth Management (urban)
Southern (USDA FS)
Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba
