Ginkgo biloba
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- GIN-koh bih-LOW-bah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Deciduous tree; leaves alternate, simple, fan-shaped; seeds (only on female trees) plumlike, yellow-orange, the outer, fleshy pulp foul-smelling when ripe, the inner wall hard, smooth, and cream colored
Messy fruit; plant male trees, yellow leaves fall rapidly in fall; drought, heat, air pollution, and moderately salt tolerant; easy to transplant; long-lived. Resistant to damage by deer. Excellent city tree. Popular for bonsai.
Site: Sun; range of soil types except wet soil
- Cultivars:
- Tags:
- Cultivars:
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Ginkgo
- Species:
- biloba
- Family:
- Ginkgoaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China
- Play Value:
- Sound
- Wildlife Enhancement
- Wind Shimmer
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- This tree is resistant to damage by deer, excellent city tree.
- 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: 40 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Horizontal
- Pyramidal
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- more than 60 feet
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Seeds (only on female trees) plumlike, yellow-orange, the outer, fleshy pulp foul-smelling when ripe, the inner wall hard, smooth, and cream colored
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Orange
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
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Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- 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:
- 2-3 in. emerald green, fan-shaped, alternate, simple leaf in clusters of three to five; yellow fall color
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat
- Pollution
- Salt
- Urban Conditions
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Malodorous
- Messy
- Poisonous
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Poison:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Irritation of the skin following contact with the juice of the seed pulp; irritation of lips, mouth, and throat and stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea after eating the pulp.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- An alkyl phenol and ginkgolic acid
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Seeds
- Plants that fill a similar niche:
-
Hibiscus syriacus
-
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
-
Quercus phellos
