16. Gingko

Sometimes called the Maidenhair Tree

Specimen Size: 53.8ft tall, 9in in diameter.

Location: East of the Aerospace and Engineering Research Building

Historical Background: The Burke Museum displays fossilized Ginkgo leaves 48 million years old which look like the ones before you. This tree of ancient lineage is the oldest unchanged tree species on the planet, so is aptly called Golden Fossil tree (it turns yellow-gold in fall). The ginkgo by the Aerospace and Engineering building is still young and has not flowered yet. Extracts of ginkgo leaf are rumored to increase memory potential and treat many illnesses, and it has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Ginkgo are resistant to disease and insects and because of this they have been known to live up to 2,500 years. Ginkgo grows best in soils that are well-watered and well-drained. The wood of Ginkgo trees is lightweight and brittle and does not have many uses.

Non-native

Native Range: China

Identifying Features: This species is unique within its genus, which itself is unique within the family, making it the last survivor of a once widespread lineage. It exhibits a straight trunk and pyramidal crown at youth that becomes wider and more irregular with age. The light green leaves catch light beautifully, and exhibit a wonderful shape, resembling a fan with a slight notch at the tip. In autumn they turn a piercing yellow color. Ginkgos grow slowly, but can achieve heights of 70’ or more (21m) over time, as well as diameters of 2’ (0.6m) or greater in the most impressive specimens (which may be slightly difficult to imagine looking at this example which is a mere 43’ tall and 9” across).

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: A straight trunk and pyramidal crown in young trees can give way to a more irregular wide spreading shape with age, lacking fruit or flowers at that point.

2. Leaves: Leaves are very distinctive, and have changed very little over millions of years as evidenced by the fossil record! They are light dull green in color, growing on spurs in clusters of 3-5. They are shaped like a fan, slightly wavy along the broad edge with a notch at the tip, dividing the leaf into two lobes. Parallel veins fork from the base (the leaf lacks a midvein) and the leafstalk is long and slender. In autumn they turn bright yellow, as does the ground around the base as the leaves fall thickly to it. 

3. Bark: Bark is gray and becomes rough and deeply furrowed with age.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Male pollen cones are 19mm long and occur on separate trees from the female reproductive bodies, which give rise to a drupe about 1” (2.5cm) in diameter and elliptical in shape, with a thick walled edible kernel in the center. The pulp is foul smelling when crushed and therefore a favorite amongst children as something to throw at one another.