In autumn the leafage turns a magnificent yellow on a tree of sprightly, elegant bearing that climbs to 50 to 85 feet. The silver apricot (Ginkgo biloba) is one of the most resilient plants on the planet and stands up to city pollution. Give it a well-lit spot that isn’t too hot, water it through its first years, and it becomes one of the finest trees in the garden.
| Botanical name | Ginkgo biloba |
|---|---|
| Common name | maidenhair, fern pine |
| Family | Ginkgoaceae |
| Type | tree |
| Height | 50 to 85 feet (15 to 25 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | well-drained |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | late spring to midsummer |
If well planted, it will quickly become one of the most beautiful trees of your garden from spring to fall.
Preferably in spring or fall but at all costs avoid freezing or sweltering hot weather.
Soil type is irrelevant, because Ginkgo biloba is a tree that adapts well to any type of soil.
You’ll have to water it over the first few years after the planting to stimulate its growth. It is quite slow at the beginning but then speeds up as years go by.
The species itself is magnificent, but named forms let you match the tree to the space you actually have. Columnar and dwarf selections bring the same fan-shaped leaves and yellow autumn colour to far smaller gardens.
| Variety | Height | Habit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Autumn Gold’ | 40 to 50 ft (12 to 15 m) | Broadly conical, symmetrical | A reliable, fruitless specimen tree with even gold autumn colour |
| ‘Jade Butterflies’ | 8 to 10 ft (2.5 to 3 m) | Slow, vase-shaped, bushy | Deeply cupped leaves in a pot or courtyard |
| ‘Princeton Sentry’ | 40 to 50 ft (12 to 15 m) | Narrow, upright, columnar | Avenues, driveways and narrow plots |
Ginkgo biloba is a simply beautiful tree, and it needn’t be pruned unless it absolutely necessary for reasons such as growing too large.
The silver apricot is one of the most resilient plants on the planet.
And it also is the most ancient tree family known to man. Traces of it that date back to over 270 million years still appear today in fossils.
Many specimens are over 200 years old. This tree also is the only plant to have survived the Hiroshima atomic blast. Why not grow it as a “symbol of peace” in your own garden?
The leafage is amazing and turns into a magnificent yellow color in fall.
Ginkgo is used more and more in cities because it resists pollution very well.
If you like the art of bonsai, this tree is particularly well suited to it!
