Ginkgo biloba L.

Ginkgoaceae
maiden hair, ginkgo

LOCAL NAMES
Chinese (ya-chiao,ginkyo,ginnan,pakgor su,paikua su,yinxing,gong sun
shu,icho,fozhijia); Dutch (Japanse
notenboom,waaierboom,tempelboom,ginkgo); English (ginkgo,Kew
tree,golden fossil tree,maiden-hair tree); French (arbre des pagodes,arbre
de Gordon,noyer du Japon,ginkgo,ginkgo bilobé,arbre aux quarante
ecus,arbre à noix); German
(ginko,entenfussbaum,ginkgobaum,fächerblattbaum,Japanbaum,tempelba
um,silberaprikose,mädchenhaarbaum,Japanischer
nussbaum,goldfruchtbaum,Goethe-baum); Italian (ginko); Japanese Leaves at Kula Experiment Station, Maui,
(ginnan,ginkyo,ichô); Portuguese (nogueira-do-Japão); Spanish (arbol de Hawaii (Forest and Kim Starr)
los 40 escudos,arbol sagrado); Swedish (ginko); Trade name
(ginkgo,maiden hair)

BOTANIC DESCRIPTION
Ginkgo biloba belongs to single plant division Ginkgopsida which consists
of the single order Ginkgoales, a single family Ginkgoaceae and a single
extant genus Ginkgo. The tree is deciduous reaching a height of 4 m, with
a reddish bark. Male specimens show an upright and irregular form,
female trees are low and spreading.

Leaves fan-shaped glossy green (resembling those of the maidenhair fern habit (Tamara Crupi, September 1996)
or Adiantum), with irregularly toothed upper margins. Numerously veined,
with a split in the middle and therefore appears to have two lobes. The
leaves turn golden yellow before they fall.

The flowers are rather inconspicuous and grow on short spurs.Trees

flower after 20-35 years, females exhibiting an abundance of ovules in
pairs on stalks each containing an egg cell, initially very green, but later
turning greenish-yellow, then orange and brown. The male flowers are
yellow catkin-like pollen cones (microsporangia), 3-6 on each short shoot
in the spring. Leaves (Tamara Crupi, September 1996)

A single naked ovule ripens into a drupe-like seed with an acrid, ill-
smelling fleshy outer layer and a thin, smooth, horny inner layer. The
fleshy-coated seeds silvery are frequently incorrectly designated as fruits
or nuts.

The generic name Ginkgo comes from the Chinese (later also Japanese)
word ginkyo meaning 'silver apricot'. The specific name biloba means two-
lobed: bi from the Latin 'bis' meaning double and 'loba' meaning leaf,
which is an obvious reference to the fan-shaped leaves which have a split
in the middle.

BIOLOGY
The maidenhair tree is dioecious. A strong correlation is observed
between blooming dates and meteorological factors, an increment of 1-3
deg C in monthly mean temperature enhances Ginkgo blooming in Japan.
Ginkgo seeds contained well-developed embryos at the time of dispersal.
Sex differentiation in Ginkgo is controlled by the balance of endogenous
gibberellic acid (GA3) ethylene and cytokinins. The prevalence of GA3 is
beneficial for male sex expression.

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 1 of 5

Ginkgo biloba L.
Ginkgoaceae
maiden hair, ginkgo

ECOLOGY
Ginkgo is a hardy tree tolerating a variety of climate and soil types. It does not tolerate extreme frost.

BIOPHYSICAL LIMITS
Altitude: up to 2000 m
Soil type: Tolerates a range of soil types.

DOCUMENTED SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Native: China, Japan, Taiwan, Province of China, Turkey
Exotic: Czechoslovakia (Former), Estonia, Germany, India, Russian Federation, South Africa, United States
of America, Yugoslavia (Former)

Native range

Exotic range

The map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does neither
suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological zone within that country,
nor that the species can not be planted in other countries than those depicted. Since
some tree species are invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to
your planting site.

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Ginkgo biloba L.
Ginkgoaceae
maiden hair, ginkgo

PRODUCTS
Food: Various foods and drinks are made from the fruits, seeds and leaves. The seeds may be roasted and are
considered a great delicacy. Seeds are high in starch, but low in protein and oil.

Poison: 4'-O-Methylpyridoxine (ginkgotoxin) is a neurotoxic antivitamin B6 which occurs in G. biloba seeds and leaves.
However, toxin amount is likely to be too low to exert detrimental effects after administration of the medication or
ingestion of food. Leaf extracts of G. biloba are shown to be highly effective against the rice pest Nilaparvata lugens
resistant to diazinon, carbofuran and fenobucarb (Kwon-Min et al. 1996). Extracts of powdered dried leaves were
deterrent to P. brassicae and P. rapae at levels as low as 25-50 p.p.m.

Medicine: In Traditional Chinese Medicine the seeds (used as an astringent for the lung, to stop asthma, enuresis, and
excessive leucorrhea and regulate urinary frequency) are considered more important than the leaves. However, in the
west ginkgo leaves are exalted. The leaves of ginkgo, known in Chinese medicine as bai-guo-ye are first mentioned in
Lan Mao's Dian Nan Ben Cao (Pharmaceutical Natural History of Southern Yunnan), published in 1436 during the Ming
dynasty, are used externally to treat skin and head sores as well as freckles. Internal use of the leaves is noted in an
imperial commissioned work recorded in 1505 for the treatment of diarrhoea. Over 300 scientific studies on the
chemistry, pharmacology and clinical effects of gingko leaf have been conducted by European researchers over the last
20-30 years. The experimental results indicate ginkgo leaf extracts have a wide range of biological effects. The most
well-known use among Americans is the perceived ability of the products to improve short term memory. Ginkgo
extracts have been widely used in Europe for a wide variety of clinical conditions including vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in
the ear), treatment of poor circulation, heart disease, eye diseases, chronic cerebral insufficiency, accidents involving
brain trauma, dementia, and various conditions associated with senility. Studies have shown that the constituents
ginkgoic acid and ginnol inhibit certain bacteria and fungal infections. New uses for ginkgo leaf extracts are emerging as
more is being learned, especially those involving circulatory problems such as erectile dysfunction and improved
memory, blood circulation. Also marketed as Shun Tian capsules, containing gingko leaves and ginseng.

Other products: A ginkgo product, referred to in scientific literature as Egb761 has unique leaf bioflavonoids
(ginkgolides A, B and C and bilobilides) believed to be responsible for its biological activity. The ginkgolides are very
selective antagonists of platelet aggregation, induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF). PAF is involved in various
inflammatory, cardiovascular, and respiratory disorders, the PAF antagonist effect of ginkgolides explain Ginkgo’s
broad-spectrum biological activity. In former times the senescing leaves, beautiful gold in colour, were expensive
objects of trade.

SERVICES
Shade or shelter: The maidenhair tree is an excellent shade tree.

Reclamation: This tree is hardy, surviving polluted environments remarkably. Ginkgo is a suitable tree for urban forestry.

Nitrogen fixing: G. biloba roots are colonized by the fungus Glomus epigaeum, forming vesicular arbiscular mycorrhiza.

Soil improver: Leaf litter of the maidenhair tree improves soil fertility.

Ornamental: Ginkgo has been widely adopted as an ornamental tree in many European and American cities.

Other services: Ginkgo figures strongly in legend and lore of China, and has been lovingly adopted by most cultures in
the temperate regions of earth.

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Ginkgo biloba L.
Ginkgoaceae
maiden hair, ginkgo

TREE MANAGEMENT
Generally the tree is very adaptable, tolerating all climates and soils. The tree takes 30 years to reach a height of 10
metres. Application of pollen by spraying was found to be the best method for increasing fruits quantity and quality. For
ornamental gardens it is advisable to plant male trees only, because the female trees produce malodorous fruits.

GERMPLASM MANAGEMENT
Removal of the sarcotesta significantly increases the total germination. In one study cold stratification, an unnecessary
treatment, improved seed germination percentage.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Ginkgos are long-lived trees, remarkably resistant to disease, pests, and fires. They also are extremely tolerant of air
pollution, and are often planted in harsh city environments where most trees will not survive. The pyralid, Etiella
zinckenella infests gingko fruits. Metabolus flavescens attacks young ginko trees. The root rot (Fusarium sp.), stem rot
(Macrophomina phaseoli [M. phaseolina]) fungi and the insect pests Brachytrupes [Tarbinskiellus] portentosus, Agrotis
ipsilon and Gulcula panterinaria are the main cause of mortality in young seedlings. The first record of a bacterial pest,
Pseudomonas syringae, causing leaf spots and stem cankers of Ginkgo is reported from Sacramento, California. The
larvae of Pammene sp., a pest of ginkgo attack twigs and branches, impairing growth and seed yield. The longicorn
beetles, Monochamus subfasciatus and 3 species of Acalolepta cause damage to the maidenhair trees. Phellinus
punctatus causes ginkgo wood rot.

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Ginkgo biloba L.
Ginkgoaceae
maiden hair, ginkgo

FURTHER READNG
Arenz-A et al. 1996. Occurrence of neurotoxic 4'-O-methylpyridoxine in Ginkgo biloba leaves, Ginkgo medications and
Japanese Ginkgo food. Planta Medica. 62(6): 548-551.
Balabushka VK. 1990. Results of the trials of growth regulators on summer cuttings of introduced woody plants.
Byulleten' Glavnogo Botanicheskogo Sada. No. 156, 65-67.
Bishop AL and Basarich L. Leaf spot and stem canker of Ginkgo biloba caused by Pseudomonas syringae. Plant
Disease. 73(4): 368.
Bonfante-Fasolo P and Fontana A. 1985. VAM fungi in Ginkgo biloba roots: their interactions at cellular level.
Symbiosis. 1(1): 53-67.
CABI. 2000. Global Forestry Compendium. CD-ROM. CABI
Govi G and Zambonelli A. 1982. Two cases of surgical operation against rot of shade trees. Informatore Fitopatologico.
32(4): 49-54.
Holt BF and Rothwell GW. 1997. Is Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) really an oviparous plant? American Journal of
Botany. 84(6): 870-872.
Kai K et al. 1996. Effects of global warming on the phenological observation in Japan. Climate change and plants in
East Asia. 85-92.
Kwon-Min et al. 1996. Potent insecticidal activity of extracts from Ginkgo biloba leaves against Nilaparvata lugens
(Homoptera: Delphacidae). Applied Entomology and Zoology. 31(1): 162-166.
Lanzara P. and Pizzetti M. 1978. Simon & Schuster's Guide to Trees. New York: Simon and Schuster
Ling-Hsieh and Hsieh L. 1997. Utilization of ginkgo resources in China. Holz-Zentralblatt. 123:(50): 785-786.
Onagamitsu J and Kaneko S. 1983. Ecology and control of some longicorn beetles on maidenhair tree. 1. Species and
their infestation. Proceedings of the Association for Plant Protection of Kyushu. 29: 138-140.
Xia RenXue and Xia RX. 1997. Sex differentiation and its identification at the early stages of growth in fruit trees.
Journal of Fruit Science. 14(1): 52-56.
Xing-ShiYan et al. 1997. Analysis of the nutritional components of the seeds of promising ginkgo cultivars. Journal of
Fruit Science. 14(1): 39-41.
Xu ChengQiong et al. 1995. Grafting propagation of Ginkgo biloba L. Gui 86-1. Journal of Plant Resources and
Environment. 4(4): 63-64.
Yan FS et al. 1990. Deterrents extracted from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba: effects on feeding and contact
chemoreceptors. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 54(1): 57-64.
Ying-ZhongQuan et al. 1996. Study on a high yield technique for Ginkgo biloba by spraying pollen. Journal of Zhejiang
Forestry Science and Technology. 16(4): 34-36.
Zhang GZ and Li ZS. 1981. A preliminary study on Pammene sp. Journal of Nanjing Technological College of Forest
Products. No. 4, 83-89.
Zhou CG, Qiao LQ and Li J. 1994. A new pest insect, Etiella zinckenella, on gingko trees. Plant Protection. 20(2): 35.

SUGGESTED CITATION
Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R , Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree Database:a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp)

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