At a glance
| Botanical name | Ginkgo biloba |
|---|---|
| Common names | Ginkgo, maidenhair tree |
| Family | Ginkgoaceae (the only living member) |
| Type | Deciduous gymnosperm tree; separate male and female trees |
| Native range | South-central and southeastern China; rare in the wild |
| USDA zones | 3–9 (NC State Extension; some sources list 3–8) |
| Mature size | 50–80 ft tall, 30–40 ft wide |
| Growth rate | Slow to moderate |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil | Adaptable: tolerates a wide pH range, compaction and urban conditions; needs drainage |
| Fall color | Bright golden yellow; leaves tend to drop all at once |
| Seeds | Female trees only; fleshy, plum-like seeds with a rancid-butter odor |
| Deer | Tolerates deer browsing (rated deer resistant by NC State Extension) |
| Pests | Few serious problems; bacterial leaf scorch can infect it |
| Toxicity | Seed pulp can irritate skin; low-severity toxicity if eaten in quantity (NC State Extension) |
What a ginkgo tree is
Ginkgo is a botanical oddity that happens to make an excellent shade and street tree. It is the sole surviving species of a group of plants whose fossil record runs back more than 200 million years, which is why the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew describes it as the tree that outlived the dinosaurs. Its leaves look much like those found in ancient fossils.
Although it drops its leaves like an oak or maple, ginkgo is a gymnosperm, more closely related to conifers than to flowering trees. It has no flowers and no true fruit. Male trees release pollen from small cone-like structures, and female trees bear naked seeds wrapped in a fleshy coat. That fleshy coat is the source of ginkgo's notorious smell.
Ginkgo is native to China, where Kew notes that genuinely wild populations are rare. It has been planted for centuries around temples in China, Korea, and Japan, and it is now common in cities across North America and Europe because it handles pavement, pollution, and poor soil better than most trees. The common name maidenhair tree comes from the resemblance of its leaves to the leaflets of maidenhair fern.
How to identify a ginkgo tree
- Leaves: Fan-shaped, usually 2–3 inches across, often with a notch in the middle of the outer edge that splits the blade into two lobes (the "biloba" in the name). The veins fan out from the stalk and fork repeatedly, with no central midrib. No other common tree has this leaf.
- Spur shoots: On older branches, leaves grow in clusters of three to five from short, stubby side shoots.
- Bark: Gray-brown, becoming rough and furrowed with age.
- Shape: Young trees are sparse, upright, and often irregular or lopsided; mature trees broaden into a wide, open crown.
- Seeds (female trees only): Round, yellowish to orange, plum-like seeds about an inch across that ripen and drop in fall.
- Fall color: Uniform butter-yellow to gold.
The only thing people commonly confuse with ginkgo is the maidenhair fern, a small woodland plant. If you are looking at a tree with fan-shaped, fork-veined leaves, it is a ginkgo.
Male vs. female ginkgo: the smell problem
Ginkgo trees are either male or female. Only females produce seeds, and according to Harvard's Arnold Arboretum the fleshy outer seed coat is loaded with butyric acid, the same compound that gives rancid butter its odor. When fallen seeds are crushed on sidewalks in fall, the smell is strong and lingering. Clemson Extension and NC State Extension also note that ginkgolic acid in the seed pulp can irritate skin, so wear gloves when cleaning up.
| Trait | Male ginkgo | Female ginkgo |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds | None | Heavy crops of fleshy seeds once mature |
| Odor | None | Rancid-butter smell when seeds drop and break open |
| Mess | Leaves only | Slippery seeds on paths, lawns, and cars in fall |
| Spring | Small pollen-bearing structures | Small ovules on stalks |
| Recommended for yards and streets | Yes | Generally no |
How to make sure you get a male
- Buy a named male cultivar. Cultivars are propagated by grafting or cuttings, so they are genetic copies of a known male tree. Seedlings are a gamble.
- Do not count on looks. You cannot reliably tell a young seedling's sex by its appearance, and female trees typically do not start bearing seeds for decades; Clemson Extension puts it at 20 to 30 years for a seed-grown tree. A "fruitless" ginkgo of unknown origin may simply be too young.
- Ask for the cultivar name on the tag and avoid unlabeled "ginkgo" or "maidenhair tree" seedlings if odor matters to you.
If you already have a mature female, your options are to accept a few weeks of fall cleanup (rake or sweep seeds before they are crushed), or to replace it with a male cultivar.
Ginkgo types and cultivars
There is only one species of ginkgo, but nurseries sell many cultivars that differ in shape and size. Two male selections show up repeatedly in Extension references, including Clemson Extension and UF/IFAS:
| Cultivar | Sex | Form | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Autumn Gold' | Male | Broadly conical, symmetrical crown; about 50 ft tall and 30 ft wide (Clemson) | Lawn and shade tree with strong fall color |
| 'Princeton Sentry' | Male | Narrow, upright, dense; about 60 ft tall and 25 ft wide (Clemson) | Streets, narrow side yards, tight urban spaces |
Columnar and dwarf forms are also sold for small gardens. Check the tag for the mature height and width, and confirm the cultivar is a male selection. For other compact trees, see the best trees for small yards.
Where ginkgo trees grow
NC State Extension lists ginkgo as hardy in USDA zones 3a–9b. The Missouri Botanical Garden and UF/IFAS give a slightly narrower 3–8, and Clemson Extension lists 4–8b, so gardeners in zone 9 should expect it to need more summer water. That range covers nearly all of the continental United States except the very coldest northern pockets and the frost-free South and Southwest.
Within that range, ginkgo is unusually adaptable. NC State Extension and the Missouri Botanical Garden describe it as tolerant of a wide range of soils and pH, compacted urban soils, salt, air pollution, and heat. What it does not like is poorly drained, waterlogged ground. It performs best in full sun.
Ginkgo is not considered invasive. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes that it is found mainly in urban areas because it usually does not escape from cultivation.
How to plant and care for a ginkgo tree
Site
- Full sun, well-drained soil.
- Room for a 50–80-foot tree with a 30–40-foot spread for standard cultivars. Use a columnar form where space is tight.
- Away from overhead lines for full-size trees.
Planting steps
- Plant in spring or fall when the soil is workable and the tree is not under heat stress.
- Find the root flare and dig a hole no deeper than the root ball and two to three times as wide.
- Set the flare at or slightly above grade, remove wire and burlap from the top of the root ball, and backfill with the native soil.
- Water deeply to settle the soil.
- Mulch 2–3 inches deep in a wide ring, keeping mulch off the trunk. See mulching around trees.
The full method is in the site's guide to planting a tree the right way.
Watering and feeding
Ginkgo becomes drought tolerant once established, but it needs regular deep watering for the first couple of growing seasons. Follow the schedule in watering newly planted trees. Fertilizer is rarely necessary in reasonable soil; a soil test will tell you if anything is lacking.
Pruning
Ginkgo needs little pruning. Young trees can look gangly for a few years; resist the urge to shape them heavily. Remove dead or damaged wood and correct competing leaders on young trees while dormant. Timing details are in when to prune deciduous trees.
Ginkgo fall color
Ginkgo is one of the best trees in North America for clean yellow fall color. Leaves turn an even butter-yellow to gold (Clemson notes it is one of the earliest trees to color), and then do something few trees do: drop nearly all at once, leaving a gold carpet under the tree.
- For the best color: plant in full sun and keep young trees watered through late-summer droughts, which can cause leaves to brown before they color.
- For cleanup: the fast leaf drop makes raking a single job instead of a weeks-long chore.
To combine ginkgo with red and orange trees, see the best trees for fall color by region.
Is a ginkgo a good yard tree? Pros and cons
For most yards with space for a large tree, a male ginkgo is one of the lowest-maintenance shade trees available. The trade-offs are size, early pace, and the female-seed issue.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Few serious pests or diseases | Female trees drop foul-smelling seeds |
| Tolerates compaction, pollution, heat, and a wide soil pH range | Slow to establish; young trees look sparse for years |
| Reliable gold fall color with fast, one-time leaf drop | Standard forms grow 50–80 ft tall, too big for small lots |
| Long-lived and structurally sturdy | Short color display; leaves may drop within days |
| Not invasive | Dislikes waterlogged soil |
If you need fast shade instead, compare the trade-offs in fast-growing shade trees; most grow quickly because they are weak-wooded and short-lived, the opposite of ginkgo.
Growing ginkgo from seed
Ginkgo can be raised from seed collected under female trees, but there are two catches. Seed-grown trees are slow, and you will not know whether a seedling is male or female until it is old enough to bear, often many years later. If you try it, wear gloves to remove the smelly, skin-irritating flesh, then sow the cleaned seed in pots. For a landscape tree, a named male cultivar is the dependable route.
Ginkgo problems
The Missouri Botanical Garden reports no serious insect or disease problems for ginkgo, which helps explain its long life in cities. The one notable disease exception, per Clemson Extension, is bacterial leaf scorch. The issues people do run into:
| Problem | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Foul smell and slippery seeds in fall | Female tree | Rake seeds promptly with gloves on; plant only male cultivars in the future |
| Very slow growth after planting | Normal establishment period; drought; buried root flare | Water through the first seasons, check planting depth, be patient |
| Brown leaf edges in summer | Drought or heat stress | Deep watering during dry spells; see leaf scorch |
| Lopsided, sparse young crown | Natural growth habit of young ginkgo | Light structural pruning only; crowns fill out with age |
| Scorched leaves, branch dieback, and decline over several years | Bacterial leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa), spread by leafhoppers and treehoppers | Looks like drought scorch, so send a sample to a diagnostic lab to confirm |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it matters | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Buying an unnamed seedling | It may be female and start dropping smelly seeds years later | Buy a named, grafted or cutting-grown male cultivar |
| Assuming a young tree is male because it has no seeds | Females can take many years to begin bearing | Check the cultivar tag or nursery records |
| Planting a full-size cultivar in a narrow space | Standard ginkgos reach 50–80 ft with a 30–40 ft spread | Use a columnar selection such as 'Princeton Sentry' |
| Planting in soggy soil | Ginkgo tolerates many soils but not waterlogging | Choose a well-drained site |
| Heavy pruning to 'fix' a gangly young tree | Young ginkgos are naturally irregular; heavy cuts set them back | Limit pruning to dead wood and competing leaders |
Frequently asked
How fast do ginkgo trees grow?
Ginkgo is a slow- to moderate-growing tree. UF/IFAS notes it may grow extremely slowly for several years after planting before picking up to a moderate rate. Regular deep watering in the first two seasons, correct planting depth, and full sun help it get going.
Do ginkgo trees smell bad?
Only female trees do. Their fleshy seed coats contain butyric acid, per Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, which gives off a rancid-butter odor when the seeds fall and break open in autumn. Male trees produce no seeds and no smell, which is why nurseries sell named male cultivars.
Which ginkgo tree stinks, male or female?
The female. Male ginkgos release pollen in spring but never form seeds. To avoid the odor, buy a grafted or cutting-grown male cultivar such as 'Autumn Gold' or 'Princeton Sentry' rather than a seedling of unknown sex.
What is special about ginkgo trees?
Ginkgo is the sole survivor of an ancient group of trees; Kew notes that ginkgo leaf fossils more than 200 million years old look almost identical to today's leaves, so it is often called a living fossil. It is also unusually tolerant of urban stress and has few pest problems, and its fan-shaped leaves turn gold and drop almost all at once in fall.
How big do ginkgo trees get?
Standard ginkgos typically reach 50–80 feet tall and 30–40 feet wide at maturity, per the Missouri Botanical Garden and NC State Extension. Columnar and dwarf cultivars stay much narrower or smaller, so check the tag.
Where are ginkgo trees native to?
Ginkgo is native to China, where Kew notes only a few natural populations remain. It has been cultivated for centuries in China, Japan, and Korea and is now planted widely in North America and Europe, growing in USDA zones 3–9.
Are ginkgo trees invasive?
Ginkgo is not considered invasive. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes it usually does not escape from cultivation, which is part of why it is a common choice for street and park plantings.
How long do ginkgo trees live?
Ginkgos are very long-lived. Clemson Extension notes that trees in China, Japan, and Korea live for more than 1,000 years, and Kew cites a recorded tree about 3,500 years old. Ginkgo trees in Hiroshima also survived the 1945 atomic bombing and regrew, per Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum.
Sources
- Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo, Maidenhair Tree), NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
- Ginkgo (Maidenhair Tree) Care & Growing Guide, Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center
- Ginkgo biloba: Ginkgo (ENH432/ST273), University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Ginkgo biloba, Missouri Botanical Garden
- Ginkgo biloba, Royal Horticultural Society
- Ginkgo biloba: The Tree That Outlived the Dinosaurs, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Ginkgo, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Stop and Smell the Ginkgo Seeds, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Seeds from Hiroshima atomic bomb 'survivor trees' planted at Oxford Botanic Garden, Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum