Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

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If you think "stinky berries" when you hear the word "ginkgo," please keep reading so that I can try to change your preconceived notions about this beautiful tree. It's true — fertilized female ginkgo trees of a certain age will sprout fruit that, quite frankly, smells like a trash dump. However, you can avoid this completely by making sure you plant a male tree.

Think about the fact that this ancient tree was around during the time of the dinosaurs, and that Buddhist monks have revered and planted ginkgos in contemplative temple gardens for thousands of years. Let those facts marinate for a few moments and foster your appreciation for the ginkgo. Then learn more about this unique tree below and replace your thoughts of foul female berries with those of golden fan-shaped leaves.

by The New York Botanical Garden »

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Botanical name: Ginkgo biloba
Common name: Ginkgo tree, Maidenhair tree
USDA zones: 3 to 8 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Soil should be well-drained.
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade. Full sun is recommended for the best, fastest growth.
Mature size: In the largest examples, over 100 feet tall and 60 feet wide; though more commonly expect up to 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide.
Benefits and tolerances: Disease, pest and urban-pollution free. This is a long-living tree you should plant with the idea of leaving a legacy behind.
Seasonal interest: The leaves turn to a beautiful golden yellow in the fall. They often fall off almost all at once, creating a round, golden carpet on the ground beneath the trunk. Keep the leaf-blower tucked away and enjoy it for a few days.

When to plant: Spring or fall

by Ginkgo Leaf Studio »

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Distinguishing traits. The soft green leaves are a delicate fan shape that is so pretty and distinguishable it is often rendered in decor, whether on a pillow, wallpaper print, tile or bronze sculpture.

While the full-grown ginkgo has a lovely shape, young specimens go through an awkward and gangly adolescence, with odd branching patterns and a rate of slow growth. After a few years, they start to fill out and grow at a moderate rate.

The sensational golden yellow fall color is reason enough to plant this tree.

by Ziger/Snead Architects »

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How to use it. The ginkgo is a distinguished speciman tree that stands out in a landscape. While it's a magnificent tree to plant singly, it's also lovely in a grove or in a courtyard, and because of its tolerances, it makes a great urban street tree.

The tree also has become a symbol of longevity, endurance and hope; these meanings are factors to consider when planting it.

by WA design »

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Here the ancient tree appears sculptural, its irregular form contrasting with the straight lines of the contemporary architecture surrounding it.

by Ginkgo Leaf Studio »

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Planting notes:
• Dig a hole about 5 inches larger than the root ball on all sides.
• Ginkgos like sandy loam, so if your soil is not sandy loam, spread sand on the bottom of your hole.
• Place the rootball in the hole and fill the sides with sand.
• Keep turf several feet away from the trunk.
• Water your tree, but be careful not to overwater.
• Ginkgo tree growth can be erratic, so don't worry if it hasn't grown, so long as it looks healthy.

by The New York Botanical Garden »

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Fun facts. Google "ginkgo biloba" and you'll get a slew of medicinal information. The plant has been used to treat a range of ailments for thousands of years. In Eastern medicine these include asthma, indigestion and bronchitis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the plant has proved effective for treatment of "intermittent claudication, Alzheimer's/multi-infarct dementia and cerebral insufficiency." It also is being studied as a remedy for discomforts from altitude sickness to PMS. You've probably heard of it most recently as a memory aid; scientists are still studying the efficacy of this use.

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Comments

Rough Linen I love ginkgo trees Becky but didn't know they were male and female: now I'm over-empathising with 'female ginkgo trees of a certain age '.

9 months ago · Like ·

Becky Harris Tricia, the age is more analogous to puberty! I'd sure rather be my age than go through that again :)

9 months ago · Like ·

Annie Thornton Thanks Becky for covering my favorite tree — or at least my favorite leaf. I've heard there's a neighborhood in Berkeley with ginkgo-lined streets that has agreed every year not to sweep up the ginkgo leaves after they drop. I would love to see what that looks like.

9 months ago · Like ·

olldbobbi My husband takes ginkgo biloba capsules; I thought they were synthetic, I didn't know they came from such a beautiful tree! I would love to see the golden carpet they create in the fall. We live in a different part of Northern California where heat is a big issue (113 in the shade last night) - do you know if ginkgo biloba will survive in extreme heat? Thanks!

9 months ago · Like

bexi I live in Berwyn, IL and we have many of these beautiful trees. I unfortunately live in front of three female trees. It's an area with a good amount of foot traffic so when they are stepped on or open up from their fall, the side walk is stained and the entire area smells. It's a challenge to sweep up the fallen berries.

9 months ago · Like ·

emilyhunton I can assure you it is mandatory to plant a male tree. We have a beautiful Ginko in our yard that unfortunately is a female with the most repulsive smelling fruit. Once a year it is ripe and drops. Started about 4 years ago. I've heard it is around age 15-18 yrs.

9 months ago · Like ·

evelyn bielmann I have a very old female ginkgo in my backyard - and as much as I can't stand the smelly fruit every fall, my tree is incredibly beautiful and majestic.

9 months ago · Like ·

Rita Nicholson Very interesting tree. I am interested in planting this beauty (male, of course) but wanted to know how you tell the male from the female? Also, is it good in zone 8a? Thank you.

9 months ago · Like ·

sugargrits Yes HOW DO YOU TELL IF ITS MALE?

9 months ago · Like ·

Kathy Harris I wold like to know the difference between Male & Female also. I have just moved into a newer house and a couple of our young trees are not looking to good would like to replace with a ginko if they don't make it thru the 100 degree weather.

9 months ago · Like ·

emilyhunton I have been told by an arborist the only way to know a male from female is from the original grower. We have a male tree too and it is identical. The absolute only way to know a female is after the 15-18 yrs and the fruit develops. Also they do not cross pollinate so there is no preventing the fruit once it starts. I would only buy one if I could trust the nursery I received it from to ensure its a male

9 months ago · Like ·

patty2430 We had a male ginkgo tree on the boulevard of our previous house. A beautiful tree, and the leaves did not get dry and crumbly like the rest of the leaves in our St. Paul MN neighborbood in the fall --very easy to rake and clean up. There was a female ginkgo tree about a mile from us, and the fruit was always crushed on the sidewalk because it was so close to a church and people parked on the street near it and walked all over it. If you get a female tree, plant it where it won't have foot traffic.

9 months ago · Like

emelee Annie, I think it might be on Shattuck where there are tons of ginkgo trees in Berkeley. I didn't know about an agreement not to sweep (fantastic if it's true!) but check it out. Fall is just around the corner, though you'd never know it with this heat!

9 months ago · Like

emelee Maybe Shattuck near Henry. Can't be sure but worth a little googling to try to find it.

9 months ago · Like

richa830 I know these trees are often extremely large in size; living in the center of downtown Boston, does anyone know if a Ginkgo can survive being in a large planter?

9 months ago · Like

nzdanovich I lived on a street that had one female Gingko tree on the whole street, and it was in our yard! The smell of the fruit was definitely similar to a "present" that a dog might leave behind, but it was only a problem in the fall. We just made sure we kept the fallen fruits swept up as much as possible, and encouraged folks to come in via the back door of the house. A Chinese friend of ours told us that the fruits are collected, boiled to remove the outer flesh, and the seeds are then cracked open. The inside of the seeds would then be scooped out and made in to a soup. An elderly Chinese couple would come by every fall and gather the fruit from the ground. I wish I had taken the time to meet them and invite them in for tea!

9 months ago · Like

michvh I just moved into a house last year and we had no idea what the tree was until it dropped the "golden carpet". It was beautiful. Can't wait till this fall; except for the fact of raking them up afterwards.

9 months ago · Like ·

Jan Yatsko I still remember picking up the golden yellow leathery leaves during the autumn months and scattering them on a dining room table for guests or a coffee table in the living room.......

9 months ago · Like ·

zestforliving We have 2 male gingko trees in our back yard - they flank a walkway between our back porch and pool. We put them in about 10 years ago as good sized plant specimens. They are excellent yard trees - slow to leaf in spring which gives plants underneath lots of spring sun. They are golden in the fall and the leaves seem to fall all together. Best of all they are hardy and immune to pests. We knew about purchasing male trees and this is a very important fact. All around excellent trees - even for a yard with a pool.