Golden Yellow: The Radiance of Ginkgo Trees in Fall

Ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) are a long-lived tree that is native to south-central and southeast China.  It is considered a living fossil because it has existed for hundreds of millions of years.  All the other members of the family are extinct. 

General Description 

Ginkgo trees can grow up to 80 feet tall and be 40 feet wide.  They form a pyramid shape and have unique fan shaped leaves.  The leaves turn a beautiful golden color in the fall.  The light looks very nice when filtered through the canopy when the leaves are yellow.  The tree is deciduous and loses its leaves in the fall.   

Ginkgo trees are gymnosperms because they have seeds that are naked, not in flowers.  The pulp surrounding the seed grows from the seed itself.  The female trees have a messy, smelly fruit in the fall, so most people plant male trees.  Male trees can spontaneously change to female trees if there are too many male trees and not enough female trees. 

Optimal Growing Conditions 

Ginkgo trees need full sun and well-drained soil.  Avoid planting it where the roots will stay wet.  Ginkgo trees are hardy from zones 3 to 9. 

Uses In The Landscape 

Ginkgo is tolerant of drought, heat, air pollution, and is moderately salt tolerant, so is often used in urban areas.  They do well along city streets or in parks and yards.  The seeds are freed from the pulp and boiled or roasted and eaten in parts of Asia.  They are sometimes sold at Asian food markets. 

Common Pests, Diseases, and Other Problems 

Ginkgo trees can cause contact dermatitis.  The pulp and the seeds can cause irritation of lips, mouth, and throat and stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea when eaten in large quantities.  Cooking does not degrade the toxic chemical in the pulp and seeds.  They are resistant to most pests, including deer.  They are resistant to most diseases. 

Planting A Ginkgo Tree 

You will receive a bare root tree.  Dig a hole twice as wide as the roots and about a foot deeper than the roots.  Do not put fertilizer in the hole, it will burn the sensitive root hairs and may kill the plant.  Using  the soil dug out of the hole, put about a foot of loose dirt in the hole.  Have someone hold the tree where the crown is at ground level.  Fill the soil in around the tree.  Water the tree.  Add more soil and water until the soil level does not change with watering.  Use the rest of the soil to make a berm around the tree and about three inches tall.  This will hole water in until it can be absorbed when you water the tree. 

Ginkgo Tree Care 

You will need to water your ginkgo tree every day for the first two weeks.  After that, gradually extend the time between waterings until you water once a week.  Do this for the first year.   

Can’t Grow Ginkgo Trees? Try These Instead 

River Birch grows in wetter areas in zones 4-9.  In the fall, the leaves turn yellow and really show off the white bark.  Bald cypress also grows in wetter areas in zones 4-9.  It has feathery needles that look like fern leaves.  These needles turn yellow in the fall and drop to the ground. 

Order Now 

The trained staff at TN Nursery can answer any questions you might have about a Ginkgo tree and its care.  You can easily order the Ginkgo tree at our TN Nursery website or on the phone.  Call 931.692.7325 and order your Ginkgo tree today.