Ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo, Bai Guo Ye

Dating back 200 million years, into the age when dinosaurs roamed, this ancient relic is the oldest living tree species on earth. Traced to pockets of primitive flora in the northern Zhejiang province of China, it is known today only in cultivation. Still guarding temples of old China, some trees are thought to have lived 1000 years! Over 100ft at maturity, ginkgos are characterized by their parallel-veined, fan-shaped, two-lobed (bilobed), yellow-green leaf which turns to a vibrant lemon in a sudden burst in autumn. A dioecious species, meaning male and female flowers are borne on different plants, males flower in loosely hanging yellow catkins, while females are known for horrific odor emanating from pulp of decaying fruit.

Grow specs: 100+ ft. 10-15 ft. spacing. Full sun. Any soil. Stratify seeds for 2 months at 70F followed by 2 months at 40F. Ginkgo has been historically used in China as a pulmonary astringent for coughs, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and tuberculosis.
$3.00