I am not familiar with the varieties you listed but there are a fair number of compact or dwarf ginkgos on the market. As most of these are available through a limited number of west coast USA nurseries, they may not be widely available in Canada.

You might also look for or consider:

• Chi-Chi (sometimes spelled Tschi Tschi)
• Jade Butterflies
• Mariken
• Chase Manhattan
• Spring Grove
• Troll
• Munchkin
• Tubifolia

I hate to be 'that guy', but these are pretty slow growing. I don't know how old you are but you might just want to plant a normal sized one and leave the lack of compactness for someone else to deal with in 40-50 years!

Fair enough comment Upper.

When I finally venture out to a nursery this season I will see what size specimens are available.

Whistling Gardens offers a few varieties. I purchased "Snowcloud" even though they couldn't specify its ultimate size. At my age, it's certainly not going to be my problem if it does eventually get big, as it's just a whiff of a tree at this point!

I also purchased 'Mariken' from Canadale last season. It will be a while before that has much presence judging by the 5-year-old planting I saw while on a garden tour last summer.

While I wait for these to mature, I'll just admire the very large, mature specimen my neighbour has planted in his front yard. It's beautiful.

Thanks @chouchou_gw for the close to home info. "Whistling" is just too far away. Although "Canadale" is also far off I will visit it this late spring/early summer as this is its last full season in business. I have a couple of closer options I will check out first. The issue is that my vehicle is small and so I would need to have have exact measurements of the specimen to be sure I can take it home.

BTW I've said this before but a Ginkgo is in my top 5 list of "why the heck didn't I plant this before now" plants. There really is nothing like the the sight of one in autumn! Better late than never.

Another one on that list is Jasminum nudiflorum. 20 year ago 'plant snob' UBG thought 'they are merely level 1 rare' har har har. I'm glad I got over myself!

If you're ever a tourist in DC in late February or so (although I've seen them blooming as early as late January some years!) just go to the National Airport metro stop to see the incredibly planting on the garage terraces. You don't even have to leave the station and pay for a trip. Hopefully never to be removed by some yahoo for not being native enough.

but a Ginkgo is in my top 5 list of "why the heck didn't I plant this before now" plants

For many years I was all in with Japanese Maples...containers and in ground. But slowly but surely I have moved away from these wonderful plants. Our weather is such that it is just too iffy keeping them alive year after year and as I grew older I looked less forward to moving the potted one's in and out of storage. Obviously Ginkgos are much hardier than JM. Possibly (hopefully?) I can find a patch of space to plant one Gingko in 2026.

Thanks rouge. Are you aware there are some Asian maples being bred to be zone 4 hardy? I just don't want you to write off the genus for hardiness alone. Good luck!

In part what I love about the acer palmatum is the incredible variety. Don't get me wrong, I still have several (5?) in ground in our garden (assuming no winter kill and that is likely an optimistic assumption given this past harsh winter).

I have always admired the Ginkgo species. It would be exciting to be able to have one of my own ;).

Thank you very much @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) for the interesting list...you are good ;).

The appeal of "Yvonne" is that as I understand it, it is a variety developed by a Canadian grower.

A bit unexpectedly I found another quality nursery, one that I have frequented in the past, which advertises a good selection of Gingkos in its catalog.

This is Jade Butterflies, growing as a shrub next to my little koi pond. i bought it in 2017 for something like $10, because the pot had fallen over at the nursery and broken the leader. I tried to releader it, but a new puppy found the staked branch too tempting and chewed it off. I have NEVER had the gorgeous yellow leaves in fall, each year they freeze and abscise with no color, sigh. Still, I find it attractive in season. Will see if I can find a photo in leaf.

Excellent @indianagardengirl! Thank you so much for searching it out.

That is a gorgeous water feature.

i always planted a ginkoo in my various yards, clearing out some Hemlocks due to health issues so now the ginkoo will take off. Though I regret not having planted a more columnar variety..., I don't find them all that slow growing actually.

My ’Mariken’ last fall. Fall color is hit or miss. It was planted in 2010 as a one gallon pot and is now about 6x8 feet.

tj

Great picture @tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱.

6 by 8...that is substantial.

The slow growing dwarf ginkgo varieties are grafted males that won't stink, although it takes 10 or 15 years or so for the females to begin stinking. Also, you can buy a 4 foot standard or taller to minimize the footprint and you will 'never' run out of space if sited well. I considered the Mariken or similar, but eventually favoured other dwarf conifers.

Edit: I love women, BTW :-)

Ginkgos can be tough. I grew several from collected seed 20 yrs ago. Only one (I thought) survived deer-chomping and now is 20 ft tall -- evidence of growth-speed is the katsura tree beside it on left is the same age.

Several I had planted far off in un-mowed areas were deer chomped & long-forgotten. Then, just a few yrs ago I spotted this one in the weeds had survived somehow and came up from the roots -- took 16+ yrs to show up again.

PS Mine are like IGG's -- rarely color here in a frost-hollow, but that's alright.