Maidenhair Tree

Basisdaten

description:

The Ginkgo originally comes from China. It is now represented all over the world and is often planted because of its slim crown and the slow-growing with bright yellow fall color in the vicinity of houses. The leaves of Ginkgo can be used pharmaceutically.

Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgo

Description

Ginkgo biloba is a rarity in the plant kingdom and the only surviving species of the Maidenhair Tree tree family. The plant was discovered in 1690 by the botanist E. Kaempfer in Japan. Today Maidenhair Tree is distributed worldwide. In East Asia, Ginkgo biloba is cultivated as a temple tree and is also prized for its edible seeds. Maidenhair Tree trees can reach an age of up to 1,000 years and have been declared the tree of the millennium.

Habit

In young trees, a straight and slender growth habit can be observed. The pyramid-shaped trees have little branches at a young age. From around 25 years on, Maidenhair Tree trees form a mighty crown as the branches move more and more horizontally. Most Maidenhair Tree trees have two main shoots, one of which is always weaker. Very characteristic of these trees are the leaves, which catch their eye through their fan shape. Old trees form swellings on the underside of the branches, which extend to the ground and root there.

Buds

The winter buttons of the Maidenhair Tree are flat and conical and about four millimeters long. The light brown buds are quite noticeable and enclosed by small leaves. The tegments are arranged in a scale.

Blossom

As a wind pollinator, the Maidenhair Tree flowers in March. As dioecious plant is to be distinguished into male and female Maidenhair Tree trees. Externally, there is little difference until sexual maturity at the age of about 30 years. The flowers are formed from perennial short shoots on the leaf axils. Male flowers appear as about two inches long kitten. The female flowers are arranged in pairs on a stalk about one centimeter long.

Fruit

After fertilization, the ovule forms the fruit, which is visually reminiscent of mirabelles. The embryo is surrounded by a thin inner layer, a woody middle layer and a hard seed coat. The seed coat is initially green, with the first frost, it turns yellow and eventually falls off.

Maidenhair Tree tree wood

The wood of the Maidenhair Tree tree is soft and very light. In core and sapwood, the light brown or pale yellow wood is difficult to distinguish. Maidenhair Trees are hardly cultivated for pure wood production. The wood is suitable for processing to panel and can also be used for carving.

Tree profile

name botanical:

Ginkgo biloba

other name:

Ginkgo

family:

Ginkgo family or Maidenhair tree family (Ginkgoaceae)

species:

deciduous tree

height:

up to 25 m (82 ft)

leaf:

The leaves of ginkgo are fan-shaped, up to 8 cm (3.2 in) long and gray-green in color.

leaf shape:

fan-shaped

leaf margin:

ribbed

leaf position:

alternate

fall foliage:

bright yellow

flowering:

April - May

blossom color:

yellow-greenish

blossom description:

The male flowers are about 3 cm (1.2 in) long yellow catkins. The female flowers are large only in few millimeters.

gender distribution:

dioecious

fruit:

The stone core fruit is yellow-green, rounded, fleshy and unpleasant smelling. The core is edible.

branches:

The bark of the branches is gray-brown.

bark:

The bark is gray-brown and furrowed.

root:

Heart to deep-rooting plant, long taproot is formed.

location:

Sun to slight shade

soil:

sandy to loamy, moderately dry to moderately moist

ph value:

acidic to alkaline

usage:

single tree or planting in groups, garden and parks