Years ago, I was surprised to find several Ginkgo biloba trees growing along the highway near Six Flags Over Georgia. They were beautiful. I stopped to examine the trees, as I had never seen one before, and took the above pictures of this experience. I collected samples of the fruit and leaves, put it in the car, and as the kids and I were getting in I started to smell what I thought was dog poop. Figuring someone had walked a dog where we had stepped and we needed to check our shoes, we quickly got back out and checked. What I found was that the odor came from my fruit samples, and I quickly dumped them. That was an interesting experience.
Since that first experience with Ginkgo biloba, I have observed the tree on another street near Atlanta, by the post office in Douglasville, Georgia and on streets in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is a beautiful tree, with unique, fan-like leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall. Wherever it is planted, its uniqueness draws attention. It is an excellent ornamental in the urban landscape.
The Ginkgo biloba, scientific name also Ginkgo biloba, grows at a medium growth rate to 50 to 100 feet or more. Young trees are tall and slender with few branches, but with age long branches form a broad crown. Aerial roots may appear on the underside of branches in response to crown damage or other disturbances. These hanging roots 
may produce clones of the tree if contact with the soil is made. The tree is also capable of sprouting new trees from embedded buds near the base of the trunk. Branches grow in length by forming shoots with regularly spaced leaves, and in second year growth, spur shoots form from these leaf axils. These spurs with leaves grow very slowly with their small leaves appearing to be clustered at the tips. Reproductive structures are formed only on these small shoots.
Male and female parts of the Ginkgo biloba tree are on separate trees. The apricot-like structures produced on female trees are technically not fruits, but are nut-like seeds covered by a hard section and then by a soft 
and fleshy section. Though the seed is used in traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes, it contains a substance that may be poisonous if ingested in large quantities or over a long period. The fleshy section not only has an unpleasant odor but many people are allergic to it and must use caution when handling it. To avoid the unpleasantness of the apricot-like ‘fruit’ when used for landscaping, many people only plant male trees. However, this solution has problems as well. This tree’s pollen has an OPALS allergy scale rating of 7 out of 10.
Leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree are fan-shaped, usually growing 2 to 4 inches long and wide. Two veins enter the leaf at the base, and repeatedly splits and radiates out into the leaf blade without forming a network. Leaves turn bright yellow in late autumn, and fall within a few days.
The Ginkgo biloba tree has amazing history and uses. According to fossil records, the Ginkgo biloba tree evolved before flowering plants existed. In native China, trees believed to be over 1,500 years old can be found at temples. Medicinally, Ginkgo biloba leaf extract has been found with mixed results to be good for dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, tinnitus, macular degeneration, post-stroke recovery, peripheral artery disease, and more. As a landscape ornamental, the tree provides excellent visual interest and good shade.
When you see a Ginkgo biloba tree, reflect on its many possible uses and enjoy its excellent features- but avoid handling or stepping on the fruit.
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