After near extinction, Ginkgo was survived only in China.  It can still be found growing in the wild only in a remote mountain region in Eastern China.  There are still some very famous ancient Ginkgo trees surviving today in old gardens of temples, shrines and castles.  One particularly famous Ginkgo tree is the tree next to the Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura (South of Tokyo).  It is famous because the assassin of an early shogun hid under the tree before his infamous deed in 1290.[1] Ginkgo was later brought to into Europe by Kaempher in the Early 1700’s and it quickly spread to France, Germany, and North America.  Today Ginkgo can be found virtually word wild in yards, gardens, country, cities, and landscapes in any neighborhood and town.  I often see them in school yards and recall several memories as a little girl seeking out their shade for tea parties or using them as the safe spot in childish games of “tag, you’re it!” I even remember sitting below one at a middle school waiting for a ride or visiting with friends.  At these times I of course did not know even the name of this tree let alone its valuable medicinal properties.  I was however impressed by its physical characteristics, such as the double heart shaped leaves, enough to remember it to this day.  The shape of the Ginkgo leaf captivated German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in such a way that he spoke of it in the following verse.

 

The leaf of this tree

Brought to my garden from the East

Holds a secret meaning—

But only for those who can divine:

Is it one living being

That grew divided in itself?

Or are they two who chose each other,

Wishing to be known as one?

The answer to these deep questions

Is very clear to me:

Can you feel from my poem

That I could one—or both—be?

                                                                                                           

Ginkgo biloba prefers sun to partial sun and grows best in moist, deep, sandy soils in full sun, but is very adaptable to stressful situations including poor soils, heat, drought, winter, etc.  We have learned this through the Hiroshima survival story.  It is naturally free of any diseases and pest problems.  Ginkgo leaves are three inches long, a medium to deep shade of green and are fan shaped with a slit in the top center making them bi-lobed. (biloba means two-lobed and so we see where the tree developed its name). “Nearly every child can recognize the unique fan shaped leaf, because it stands alone in the plant Kingdom with nothing even closely resembling it” (Klingaman).[2] The leaves alternate along the stem and have veins that are slightly raised.  Fall colors are a greenish yellow.  Flowers are male or female and are borne on separate trees.  Hanging catkins with numerous stamens on male trees pollinate the pendulous pistil late flowers on 2” pendulous on female trees in March and April.  Fruits on female trees are light brown to orange oval shaped fruits are about the size of a cherry and are bountifully produced in September and October.  Some might refer to this as messy as the fruits drop covering the ground with mushy, bad smelling fruits.  Male trees are preferred for landscaping for this reason.  They also make good shade!  Trees may grow to over 100 feet tall, four feet in girth and live for over a thousand years.  I am in awe at the beauty and age expectancy of these species.  I can’t help but feel a profound sense of respect and love for such an ingenious species, unrivaled for its uniqueness and exclusive medicinal properties.  An absurd but perhaps interesting thought came to my mind as I considered the greatness of the Ginkgo tree.  A human life extended in years beyond average is often considered a life full of experience making one wise.  A tree that has been in existence for so long must be wise therefore relating it to one of its most well known medicinal properties….mind enhancement.  Although there is nothing scientific about such a thought, I found it interesting enough to share, and those of you who believe in the spirit of nature might also find it intriguing.