Ginkgo Biloba

Family

Ginkgoaceae

 

Distribution and habitat

Native to China.

 

Description

Very long-lived, it can reach a height of about 40 meters and develop a spreading crown. The leaves are deciduous with a characteristic fan shape, bright green, turning golden yellow in autumn. The fruits (present only on female specimens) are characterized by having a particularly unpleasant odor.

 

Uses and cultivation

Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, it is very adaptable in terms of climate and soil, but has slow growth.

 

Curiosity

Known through fossil remains dating back 250 million years, it survived thanks to cultivation carried out for millennia in Chinese monasteries.