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Native alternative(s) for Ginkgo biloba 'Bryson City':
Acer rubrum Acer rubrum
Betula nigra Betula nigra
Celtis laevigata Celtis laevigata
Fraxinus americana Fraxinus americana
Quercus rubra Full Form
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Ginkgo biloba Form
Parrotia persica Parrotia persica
Ulmus americana Full Form

Ginkgo biloba 'Bryson City'

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
GING-ko bi-LOW-buh
Description

‘Bryson City’ ginkgo is a male, woody, deciduous tree in the Ginkgoaceae (ginkgo) family.  It has a columnar habit and can grow 50 to 100 feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. It was brought from China and planted in 1941 by Mary Bryson Tipton, a missionary, and the original tree grows in downtown Bryson City, North Carolina.

While it tolerates a variety of soil textures and pH, a ginkgo tree needs a site in full sun and good drainage to thrive. Its distinctive fan-shaped leaves turn a bright yellow-gold in the fall. As this cultivar is male, it does not produce the fleshy seeds ("fruits") that are found on female trees. As a male cultivar, it is propagated by grafting. 

The ginkgo tree is tolerant of drought, heat, pollution, salt, and wind, which makes it a good choice as a street tree in urban settings or a specimen tree in lawns, recreational play areas, and walkways. It is also popular for use in bonsai.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: none.

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

More information on Ginkgo biloba.

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Tags:
#deciduous#heat tolerant#specimen#slow growing#bonsai#salt tolerant#fall interest#interesting leaves#air pollution tolerant#street tree#disease resistant#fall color yellow#walkway planting#urban conditions tolerant#insect resistant
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#deciduous#heat tolerant#specimen#slow growing#bonsai#salt tolerant#fall interest#interesting leaves#air pollution tolerant#street tree#disease resistant#fall color yellow#walkway planting#urban conditions tolerant#insect resistant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Ginkgo
    Species:
    biloba
    Family:
    Ginkgoaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    The extract of the ginkgo leaves has been used pharmaceutically as a memory-enhancer and an anti-vertigo treatment.
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Wildlife Value:
    Ginkgos have no wildlife value.  It is over-planted in today’s cities which can decrease wildlife diversity in the urban environment.
    Play Value:
    Sound
    Wind Shimmer
    Edibility:
    The seed, freed of the outer pulp and washed, is boiled or roasted and eaten and also available in Asian food stores.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Columnar
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    24-60 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    As a gymnosperm, Ginkgo does not produce fruit but has fleshy seeds (on female trees) that are plumlike, yellow-orange, and foul-smelling when ripe. The the inner wall of the seed is hard, smooth, and cream colored. As this cultivar is male, it does not produce seeds.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Cream/Tan
    Green
    Orange
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Catkin
    Insignificant
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Ginkgos are gymnosperms and do not produce "flowers" however they are dioecious with separate male and female trees. Male plants produce small pollen cones with sporophylls. Female plants produce ovules at the end of a stalk. Fertilization occurs via motile sperm, as in cycads, ferns, mosses, and algae.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Leathery
    Smooth
    Soft
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Ginkgos have distinctive two-lobed, somewhat leathery, fan-shaped, rich green leaves with diverging (almost parallel) veins. Leaves turn bright yellow gold in fall. Ginkgo trees are commonly called maidenhair trees in reference to the resemblance of their fan-shaped leaves to maidenhair fern leaflets (pinnae). Ginkgoes have the curious habit, in mid-fall, of dropping all of their leaves virtually at one time, usually following a heavy rainstorm. One autumn day, the bright foliage will be intact on the graceful spire-like tree; then, the next morning, the ground underneath the bare branches will be carpeted with its vivid leaves.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Dark Gray
    Surface/Attachment:
    Ridges
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Lawn
    Recreational Play Area
    Walkways
    Landscape Theme:
    Children's Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Design Feature:
    Specimen
    Street Tree
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Diseases
    Drought
    Heat
    Insect Pests
    Pollution
    Salt
    Urban Conditions
    Wind