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A true living fossil, the only member of its family and genus, the Ginkgo dates back to prehistoric time via fossil records. It does not exist in nature but is found only in cultivated landscapes, having survived centuries in Buddhist temple gardens in China. It is a class tree that is well known but often overlooked for its brilliant egg-yellow autumn colour. The leaves carpet the ground simultaneously with gold when they appear to drop all at once. Tolerant of some of the most inhospitable conditions that a horticulturist can throw at it, it is one of the most adaptable trees I know. The female produces fruit in quantity, and although I find them attractive as they ripen in September others may find the sickly smell offensive. Since most plants in production are grafted, this should not be a problem or concern for most. There are many excellent cultivars of this plant available and are worth trying. I have never seen an insect or disease that affects the tree and most often the leaves as they drop from the tree in autumn are as perfect as they were in spring.

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