PREHISTORIC RECALL

November 20, 2015

Ginkgo biloba has become a household word due to the belief by many that supplements containing Ginkgo might enhance memory recall. Maybe it does; maybe it doesn't.

My attraction to Ginkgo is something I trust will never need a supplement to recall - the cheery yellow fall foliage that greets me every evening. When the sky is dim, this little tree lights the way home.

Ginkgo biloba has a long and interesting history. It is one of nine prehistoric trees still in existence today. The first seed bearing plants appeared during the Jurassic period. This included Ginko biloba, Bald cypress and Cycad.

Gingko was once believed to be extinct. Fortunately, it was "rediscovered" in Japan in the 17th century. The fan-shaped leaves make it one-of-a-kind. Close inspection of the leaves also reveals the reason for the nomenclature, biloba. The end of the leaf is partially divided into two lobes.

The plant, however, comes with a warning. Unless you have lost your sense of smell, avoid the female plant. The male and female reproductive structures are on separate plants (known as dioaceous) - male type on one tree and female type on another.

The female structure produces a messy, fleshy seed, which is bad enough. To make it even worse, the mature seed smells like a nursery full of babies with the stomach flu - to be avoided at all cost!

By all means welcome Ginko biloba to your landscape. Just ensure it is a male. How will you know the difference? Not by looking under its canopy. You need to purchase from a reputable nurseryman and trust they got it right.

[Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners and The Newnan Times Herald]