Here is the tree of the week recommendation from our Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA)…

The Ginkgo is a unique species of tree, virtually unchanged since it’s origin nearly 300 million years ago during the early Jurassic Period.  They are a tough species, adapting well to the urban environment, with tolerances to pollution and confined soil spaces.  They rarely suffer disease or insect problems, being virtually immune to these environmental stresses.

Some extreme examples of the Ginkgo’s tenacity may be seen in Hiroshima, Japan.  Here, six trees that were growing near the 1945 atomic bomb explosion at the end of World War II, are among the few living things in the area to survive the blast.  While almost all other plants and animals were destroyed, the Ginkgos, though charred, survived and were soon healthy again.  They are alive to this day.

For these reasons, and for their general beauty, they are excellent urban shade trees.  Ginkgos are being widely planted along many streets and on numerous residential and commercial properties.  However, only know male cultivars should be planted, because they do not produce annual crops of malodorous seeds, like the female cultivars do.

Two popular male cultivars sold by area nurseries are named ‘Autumn Gold’ and ‘Magyar’.

Harold Hoover, BCMA

Stay tuned for next week’s tree of the week recommendation from our BCMA Harold Hoover…