Ginkgo Tree Facts
The ginkgo tree could very easily be one of the most interesting and unique trees in the entire world. Some of the facts about the ginkgo tree are very unique, indeed.
Ginkgo Tree Facts
The ginkgo tree is unique within its own biological classification. This means that it has no relatives. It is the only species in its division, class, order, family, and genus. It might be more accurate to state that the ginkgo has no living relatives. It is considered by botanists to be a living fossil. The fossil record of the ginkgo family goes back millions of years and shows a very wide spread range. The early ancestors of the modern ginkgo may have come from Scotland. This is one of the most interesting facts about the ginkgo tree, but the surprises do not stop here.
It is possible that the ginkgo tree is no longer growing naturally or in the wild anywhere. This was the thought until recently when a small stand of ginkgo trees were found growing in a remote valley in China. Even now there is some question that long gone monks in the area originally cultivated the trees there. All other ginkgo trees have been planted where they are by humans.
The ginkgo tree is another one of those trees like the redwood and sequoias that can live a very, very, long time. There are claims that some trees in China are as much as 3,000 years old. Like the redwoods, this long life is partially explained by the fact that the tree has almost no natural diseases that target it and do not seem to have any problems with insects either. Also, for some reason, the tree is better able to survive harsh urban conditions and pollution. One example of this hardiness is the fact that four good sized ginkgo trees were the only living things, plant or animal, to survive the nuclear explosion in Hiroshima in 1945. The four trees were charred, but survived and recovered quickly. They are said to still be living today.
The ginkgo is one of the rare types of trees that actually have genders. They come in male trees and female trees. They also have a rather active sex life and the description of the fertilization process is likely to make maiden blush despite the use of complex botanical terms. The whole process occurs very slowly as befits trees that may easily be over a thousand years old.
Ginkgo has been used for various medical purposes for thousands of years in China. It is thought to be an aphrodisiac and has properties that were said to improve attention and memory. It is widely used as an ingredient in today’s new wave of energy drinks. The amount of ginkgo used is very small, however, and unlikely to cause much impact in the presence of substances that are in greater quantity. The most likely effect of placebo effect from having this well known product listed in the ingredients.