Ginkgo Tree, Courtesy Cor Kwant

The ginkgo tree, also known as the Maidenhair Tree and the Tree of Forty Crowns, emanates from China and later Japan.  Its name means “silver apricot.”  It is a living fossil from the Mesozoic era. There are both male and female species.  The male tree is slim, columnar and is slightly large.  The female tree has a wide crown and more spread out in form. Its leaves (biloba – two lobed)  are like fans, yellow in the fall, and can defoliate in one day.

The late John Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, planted a ginkgo in Detroit as a wish tree in 2000.  “Wish your wish to the bark of this tree.  I believe we can make a more positive future through wishing.”

This information was provided by Cor Kwant.

His website on Ginkgos:  www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/