133837 Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) HEIGHT to 28m
Tall, slender to slightly conical deciduous tree with one main trunk. BARK Grey-brown, corky and deeply ridged in mature trees. BRANCHES spreading with long, greenish-brown shoots, which in turn bear shorter brown shoots. LEAVES Yellowish-green to dark-green, fan-shaped, divided at least once and up to 10-12cm long; radiating veins reach margins. Leaves on long shoots widely separated; those on the short shoots close-packed. FLOWERS Male catkins yellow, in small upright clusters; female flowers grow singly on a 5cm-long pedicel. Flowers seldom seen in Britain; most mature trees in our region are male. FRUITS to 3cm long and usually ovoid, containing a single seed inside a harder shell. Green at first, yellowing with age, becoming foul-smelling. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Chekiang Province of China. Endangered in the wild but widely cultivated.
