The Fall of the Ginkgo Tree Leaves at My Farm
At my Bedford, New York farm, I have thousands and thousands of trees. Many were already well-established when I purchased the property, and the rest I've planted - in gardens, in allees, in groves, in the woodland, and as privacy hedges. One type of tree, however, stands out around this time every year - the mighty ginkgo.
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, and also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta. It is found in fossils dating back 270-million years. Native to China, the ginkgo tree is widely cultivated, and was cultivated early in human history. In the sunken garden behind my Summer House, I have a stunning ginkgo tree that's probably more than 250-years old. Although not as large as others I've seen during trips to Asia, my tree is quite massive - its trunk circumference measures at least 14-feet. Ginkgo trees have beautiful green leaves that turn a luminous gold-yellow in fall. And on one day, after the hard frost sweeps down the east coast, this ginkgo, along with others at my farm and countless more in the area, drops its leaves to the ground leaving a gorgeous carpet of color below.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
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- This is the great ginkgo tree in the back of Summer House sunken garden. This parterre garden is very formal and focused on the giant 250-year old ginkgo tree. This photo was taken in late June when the tree was lush with green foliage. Growing beneath the ginkgo is a beautiful chocolate mimosa tree, a fast-growing, deciduous tree with a wide, umbrella-shaped canopy.
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- The leaves of the ginkgo are unusually fan-shaped, up to three-inches long, with a petiole that is also up to three-inches long. This shape and the elongated petiole cause the foliage to flutter in the slightest breeze. They are bold green in summer.
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- The trunk of the ginkgo tree is a light brown to brownish-gray bark that is deeply furrowed and highly ridged. The ridges become more pronounced as the tree ages. The trunk circumference of the giant tree measures more than 14-feet.
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- The younger ginkgo trees are planted on both sides of the footpath. The ginkgo is considered both a shade tree and an ornamental tree. It features a spreading canopy capable of blocking sunlight and adds visual interest and beauty to the landscape. The ginkgo grows to about 50 to 80-feet tall with a spread of 25 to 35-feet at maturity.
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- In October, one can see a slight change to the color of the leaves – they’re starting to turn.
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- By the first week of November, many of the changing leaves are two-toned, with separate bands of gold and green.
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- Look at the top of the great ginkgo – the leaves are taking on a golden hue.
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- Here’s a view looking toward my Summer House – one side is still green, while they other side is showing off its fall colors.
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- My great ginkgo tree is a female specimen. Female ginkgo trees produce tan-orange oval fruits that fall to the ground in October and November. Look closely to see hundreds of tiny fruits on the branches.
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- By mid-November, the trees are still quite full and the leaves all bright golden yellow.
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- Each mature leaf often has a single vertical slit in the top center. This forms the fan with a cavity in the middle separating it into two lobes. Bi-loba means “with two lobes”.
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- Just before Thanksgiving, many of the leaves had fallen – in almost a synchronized leaf drop. Wish such mild temperatures this autumn, the “great fall” seems less dramatic. Some of the leaves blew off in the wind, with some still clinging to the branches.
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- Many of the leaves have fallen to the ground in the garden beds and on the footpath below. Ginkgoes are grown as hedges in China to supply the leaves for western herbal medicine. The leaves contain ginkgolides, which are used to improve blood circulation to the brain and to treat many cardiovascular diseases. It is usually Europe’s number one selling herbal medication.
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- The lawn outside the garden is also covered in ginkgo leaves. To explain the phenomenon, deciduous trees form a scar between their leaves and stems to protect themselves from diseases and cold. Most flowering trees form scars at different rates, in different parts of the tree, over several weeks. Their leaves then fall off individually. However, ginkgo trees form scars across all their stems at once. And when a hard frost arrives, it finishes severing every leaf, and they fall to the ground in unison.
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- Now the fruits are also falling. They can be found all along the footpath. The most noticeable thing about these is their smell – it is hard to miss, and the stench is quite disagreeable. The outer, nasty smelling pulp is known botanically as sarcotesta.
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- Inside is a single hard-shelled seed enclosing an edible kernel. The kernels are often roasted and used in Asian cuisines.
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- Here is a closer look at the fruit. It is small and fleshy – about the size of small jujube, or Chinese date.
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- This is a photo of one of the smaller ginkgo trees at a corner of my herbaceous peony bed – there is one on each corner of this garden. These trees also lost all their leaves.
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- Here is a photo of a younger ginkgo tree outside my donkey paddock. It was taken in late October when the tree was full.
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- And here it is in late November – completely bare. At its base – a tree pit of gold. The ginkgo biloba is one of the most distinct and beautiful of all deciduous trees. And every year, it puts on one of autumn’s most beautiful performances. Have the ginkgo trees dropped their leaves where you live? Share with me in the comments below.
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