IDENTIFICATION

Scientific name:

Ginkgo biloba

Italian common name:

ginko, ginco, Japanese walnut, tree of life

Family:

Ginkgoaceae

Origin:

China. It was thought to be extinct in the wild, but has been found in Guizhou and Zeijiang, southern China.

Environment:

forested areas from 0 to 600 m above sea level, high resistance to drought and cold (−34 °C) and to air pollution

Evergreen or deciduous:

deciduous

Toxicity:

The external part of the fruit, smelly, is toxic: it contains butyric acid. Furthermore, contact dermatitis may occur following skin contact with the pulp of ginkgo fruits.

PLANT RECOGNITION

Height:

18 m. up to 40 m.

Width (extension):

12 m. or more

Habit:

Large tree of variable shape, conical when young, then columnar or expanded, sometimes with multiple trunks.

Leaf:

fan-shaped, divided in half by a deep incision that divides it into two lobes (hence biloba). From 7.5 to 12 cm long, often toothed and with numerous divergent veins from the light green base carried individually on the long twigs in clusters on the short lateral shoots. They take on the characteristic golden yellow color in autumn.

Flower:

the males small and yellow-green in clusters like catkins. The females are single or paired on a short peduncle on separate plants.

Flowering:

spring

Fruit:

plump plum-like yellow-green and then orange-brown when ripe. As the external part matures, it takes on an unpleasant odor and is inedible, while the internal part is edible.

Trunk:

Bark smooth and silver-grey in young specimens; grey-brown and deeply fissured, with clearly visible plates, in adult specimens. numerous ramifications, in adulthood, inserted at 45° on the stem.

Property:

Antioxidant. Promotes blood flow to the brain. Promotes memory and cognitive functions. Stimulant of venous and arterial circulation.

Perfume:

not

NEED

Maintenance:

Low. Once an adult (around 2-3 years old) the plant will be truly indestructible and will not need further care.

Light Exposure:

Heliophilous species that prefers a sunny position and a cool climate, but protected from cold and dry winds.

Soil type:

Sandy, fertile soils, preferably on siliceous and fresh substrate, grows better in acid and non-asphyxiated soils. It therefore cannot tolerate soils rich in limestone. It is very important that it is deep for the complete development of the plant.

Soil acidity:

pH between 6,8 e 7,2

Italian climatic area:

specimens present in Liguria, Lombardy and Veneto

Need for water:

deep and infrequent watering

Propagation:

by seed in autumn, by herbaceous cutting in summer or woody cutting in winter.

Illnesses:

it demonstrates particular resistance to diseases, to attacks by fungi and phytophagous organisms, as well as to air pollution.

Pruning:

The plants do not tolerate pruning: the shortened branches dry out.

PARTICULARITY

The name Ginkgo probably derives from an erroneous transcription by the German botanist Engelbert Kaempfer of the Japanese name “ginkyō” deriving in turn from the Chinese one “in xing” (yín=silver and xìng=apricot, «silver apricot»). This name was attributed to the species by the famous botanist Carlo Linnaeus in 1771 at the time of his first botanical publication where he maintained that erroneous transcription of the original name. The name of the species (biloba) derives instead from the Latin bis and lobus with reference to the division in two leaf lobes, fan-shaped.

In China and Japan it has always been considered a sacred plant and for this reason it is often found near temples. In Italy, the first specimen of Ginko biloba was imported in 1727 and is today found in the Botanical Garden of Padua.

Its way of reproduction is also unique in the world. In reality, ginkgo biloba does not produce “seeds”, as was previously suggested, but ovules! Ginkgo biloba trees are part of the prespermatophytes: they precede in evolution not only the invention of seeds, but also that of fruits. This characteristic brings them closer to human beings, especially because the female specimen is able to produce eggs only during “adolescence”, that is, around the age of 80. This peculiarity has in fact led the Japanese to call it “the tree of grandfather and grandson” because whoever plants a ginkgo biloba cannot hope to collect the fertilized ovules himself: he will have to rely on his grandson.

If you want to delve deeper into the curiosities about this plant which are really interesting you can go here

Annotations

In ancient times, Ginkgo was considered in the first important Chinese herbarium to be a beneficial substance for the heart and lungs; doctors used it to treat asthma, chilblains and swelling caused by the cold; Buddhist monks planted it alongside tea, the ancient Chinese and Japanese consumed the toasted seeds as a digestive remedy; Indian Ayurvedic healers associated it with longevity by using it as an ingredient in “soma”, the elixir of life.

Darwin defined this tree as a “living fossil” and it is still considered as such as its origins date back to 250 million years ago, in the Paleozoic era. It is the only living species of the Ginkgoaceae family and undoubtedly the oldest living seed plant.

Six Ginkgo specimens, still existing, survived the radiation produced by the atomic bomb that fell on the city of Hiroshima. The six trees are still alive and are found, marked by a plaque, in the Shukkei-en garden, on the site where the Senda elementary school was located and near the Hosen-ji, Myōjō-in, Jōsei-ji and Anraku-temples. ji.

The ginkgo tree is now widely used as an ornamental plant in parks, avenues and gardens in urban centres, thanks to its notable resistance to pollutants. Its use is widespread for making bonsai. It is grown industrially in Europe, Japan, Korea and the United States for the medicinal use of its leaves. The yellowish wood is used for furniture construction, lathe work and carving, but is of low quality due to its fragility.

In the kitchen:

The woody inner part of the seeds is used as a delicacy in Asia and is part of the Chinese culinary tradition. It is marketed under the name “White Nuts”. The seed contained in these species of yellow and smelly cherries becomes edible after a long process and in the East it is considered a delicacy worthy of a starred restaurant. A few are eaten accompanied by a good cup of tea.

Ginkgo nuts are renowned in China for being very healthy, stimulating the brain, preventing Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases. The Japanese love them, they are nutritious, contain vitamins A, B, C, proteins, iron and potassium. They are added to many dishes and used as a garnish.

However, the edibility of the fruit has never interested the West.