Ginkgo is undoubtedly an ideal tree, the advantages of which cannot be counted. It is beautiful, long-lived, undemanding, resistant to frost, environmental pollution and disease, not attacked by pests, and providing food and herbal raw materials, not to mention the fact that in its homeland it has been venerated for thousands of years as a holy tree and that it inspires artists and poets.
In the ginkgo biloba, literally everything is unusual.It is a contemporary of dinosaurs and a "living fossil" - the only surviving species of the ginkgo family, which was numerous in ancient geological periods. It was also found in Europe 30 million years ago, but now it grows wild in only a few sites in southwestern China and is included in the global red list of endangered plants.
May live over 2,000 years and in its homeland it reaches 40 m in height, and the circumference of its trunk reaches 12 m. It belongs to gymnosperms, but has no needles or scales, like most of them, but leaves with a characteristic fan shape, turning into a magnificent golden color in autumn. It is a dioecious plant, which means that male and female flowers appear on different individuals.
In the fall it produces almost spherical yellow "plums", but these are not fruit, but seeds in fleshy arils. At this point, it is fair to mention the only disadvantage of ginkgo: after the seeds fall to the ground, the arils decompose, giving off the unpleasant smell of rancid butter.The seeds themselves are edible, however, and anyone curious can bake or cook them.
They are said to taste like chestnuts. In the Far East, ginkgo is grown primarily as a fruit tree. In China, Japan and Korea, it was commonly planted as early as the 11th century, especially at Taoist, Buddhist and Shinto temples and palaces. In Japan, the tree that survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima is held in high esteem.
The first European to discover ginkgo for the Western world was the German physician and naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer, author of the book "Flora Japonica". In the early 18th century, he described a new species and named it Ginkgo, twisting the Japanese term ginkyo, meaning "silver apricot" a bit.This name was later reinforced by the great 18th-century Swedish scholar, "father of systematics", Charles Linnaeus, who added the species epithet biloba, referring to the shape of the leaf plate divided into two so-called flaps.
The commonly used name Japanese ginkgo is inappropriate, because in Japan this species does not occur in its natural state.The first European ginkgo was planted around 1730 in the Utrecht Botanical Garden, where it grows to this day.From there, this attractive tree quickly spread across the continent, and also spread to North America.A beautiful poem was dedicated to him by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who saw in a split leaf a symbol of the relationship between a woman and a man.
Valuable natural monuments
In our parks, ginkgo biloba is one of the peculiarities of dendrology. The tallest and oldest tree grows in the palace garden in Łańcut - it is about 230 years old and over 30 m high. The Kraków Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University can also be proud of a very interesting specimen.The stump has growths resembling stalactites called chichi. After reaching the ground, they will take root and sprout.
On the other hand, in the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław, two fused tree trunks were recognized as a natural monument: male and female, over 100 years old.The 'Fastigiata' variety stands out with its beautiful columnar habit.It is worth knowing that around 40 age-old ginkgo specimens are growing in the whole of Wrocław.
You can also find streets planted with young trees, which are doing quite well despite sprinkling s alt on the road and pavements in winter.
Due to the miniaturization of our home gardens, the purpose of breeding efforts is often to obtain dwarf forms such as' Anny's Dwarf ',' Chris' Dwarf ',' Globosa ',' Gnome ',' Goethe ',' Tit ', 'Troll' or 'Umbrella'. Ginkgo from the group Pendula and 'Praga' have hanging shoots, forming a small crown, and 'Horizontalis' - stiff branches spread horizontally.
In the 'Autumn Gold' variety, the autumn color of the leaves is even more effective than in the species, 'Variegata' has variegated leaves, 'Saratoga' - elongated, deeply incised, openwork, 'Tubifolia' - rolled into a tube. In Poland, several new varieties were obtained and patented by prof. Stanisław Korszun from Poznań.They include, among others 'Bolesław Chrobry', 'Jan III Sobieski', 'Kazimierz Wielki', 'Mieszko I' and 'Władysław Łokietek'.
The decorative qualities of ginkgo biloba are of little importance in comparison with their healing properties.Volumes could be written about the numerous advantages of ginkgo and its role in Far Eastern cultures and religions.Interested parties are referred to the sources that are very easily available in the age of the global Internet network.
Stand for the cultivation of ginkgo
Trees are best planted individually and in the "place of honor" that ginkgoes fully deserve for their beauty. Remember not to damage the pile root system too much. For practical reasons, it is better to choose male specimens that do not bind seeds.They can grow on any soil, but not extremely dry or waterlogged.
Of course, they will thrive best in fertile, deep and well-drained soils, in sunny places. They tolerate pruning well, so you can limit their growth if necessary.One-of-a-kind leaves are perfect for making unique jewelery by coating them with silver, gold or copper.
