Ginkgo Biloba

In brief: Ginkgo biloba needs well-drained soil with a pH of 5 to 5.5 and constant watering; in such conditions the tree can live up to 2,500 years. It tolerates drought, waterlogging, strong wind and snow and is resistant to diseases and pests. The seeds are about 2 cm wide and the trees are dioecious.

Ginkgo Biloba  is a living fossil of the plant kingdom and also a well-known plant. This prehistoric tree earned its name from its typical two-lobed leaves. In traditional Chinese medicine ginkgo is called jin xìng.

Trees of the now extinct Ginkgo species reached a height of around 30 m and were very dominant plant species in their time. Today in China we can find the last representative of the Ginkgo species – a Ginkgo biloba over 50 m tall. It is the tallest tree of this species in the world.  

Ginkgo Biloba  is a very hardy tree. It tolerates drought and waterlogging well, and thanks to its deep root system it copes with strong gusts of wind and snow. It is also considerably resistant to diseases and pests. An extreme example of the toughness of Ginkgo Biloba is six specimens that survived 1.5 km from the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima. The trees were charred but survived, and they stand in the same place in Japan to this day!

Growing Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo thrives best in well-drained soils with constant watering and a soil pH of 5 - 5.5. In such cases the tree can live to an age of up to 2,500 years.  

Ginkgo Biloba can be found practically all over the world, and it is most widespread in its homeland – East Asia, mainly China. In our country there are a number of these majestic trees, especially in parks. Three ginkgo biloba trees in the Czech Republic are even protected by the state.  

Ginkgo Biloba trees are dioecious. Ginkgo seeds can germinate only in the presence of a fertile tree – a female with at least 5 males.  
Ginkgo seeds are quite large, about 2 cm wide. They are yellowish in colour, like the leaves in autumn, when the seeds are ready to germinate. They are soft and contain a large amount of butyric acid. Before the seeds are cleaned of their yellowish coating they smell of rancid butter. The juices from the seeds should not come into contact with the human eye, as they are dangerous to it.

The inner part of the seed – the ginkgo nut – is used in Asian cuisine and is served on special occasions, for example at weddings and at New Year. It is also often part of vegetarian dishes of Buddhists. However, eating a larger amount of ginkgo seeds is not recommended, as you can be poisoned.

About ginkgo biloba: leaf extracts contain flavonoids and glycosides.

As a living fossil, Ginkgo has survived in nature for a very long time and is still being studied today. 

The ginkgo tree is a hardy tree that copes well with adverse conditions, which is why it is often planted in parks and gardens.