Age is a relative thing. I chuckled a little yesterday when I read a sign next to this spectacular Gingko tree (Gingko biloba) that characterized it as a “young man,” despite the fact that it was planted in 1895. Putting aside the fact that there are male gingko trees and female gingko trees, a concept that blows my mind, gingko trees, which originated in China, can live to be 1200 years old and are “potentially immortal.”
I spotted this tree while visiting the Jardin des Serres d’Auteil. This botanical garden, located near the Bois de Boulogne on the edge of Paris, dates back to 1761 and has an immense complex of different greenhouses, some with groupings based on botanical species and some geographically based. I was particularly struck by the ones ones focused on the Sahara desert and one focused on tropical South America. In the latter case, I had to keep wiping off the lens of my camera, because it was fogging up in the steaming heat of the greenhouse. Unfortunately, some of the greenhouses with the most spectacular plants were only open when gardeners were physically present, so I was not able, for example, to see their collection of orchids.
The leaves of the gingko tree were mostly faded and fallen this late in the year, but I still marveled at the size of the tree and the golden carpet that surrounded it. A sign noted that in 2011 this tree was 82 feet (25 meters) in height and its trunk had a circumference of 13 feet (395 cm).
I think that this gingko tree was the only one of its species at the garden. Somehow I felt like a personal ad, “Young male gingko tree in Paris seeks companion.” I wonder if there is a special category for its type on dating apps.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow! I did not know any trees were male and female, and I can’t help bu marvel at something this old, just breaking into adolescence.
If you have a little time for reading, here is a link to a little brochure produced by the State Arboretum of Virgina, whose Blandy Experimental farm has a grove of 300 ginkgo trees that I have visited (https://www2.virginia.edu/blandy/blandy_web/all_blandy/ginkgogrove.pdf). Of note, “Most plants are both male and female, but like holly, persimmon, and other species, ginkgo is dioecious, meaning a tree is usually male or female, but not both. “
Nice Mike! Trees are fun photo subjects, especially with colorful leaves! Keep your images coming!
What a spectacular tree! I planted a Ginkgo tree in my yard – not sure if it is male or female but it has hardly grown at all… I keep it because I love the shape of its leaf. I love the golden carpet of leaves spread on the ground in your photo. I am sure I would have been stuffing some of the leaves in my pockets! 😃
That is pretty cool. You should know if the plant is a female if it drops down large soft seeds that smell nasty. The males produce only pollen. The ginkgo leaves were faded and we were much past their prime, but it is easy to imagine how spectacular they looked. In Virginia we are blessed to have a 300 tree ginkgo grove that I visited a couple of years ago when the foliage was near peak levels. Check out this posting to see for yourself.(https://michaelqpowell.com/2013/11/02/journey-to-a-ginkgo-grove/)
Thanks for the link, Mike! Wow! I cannot imagine the beauty of 300 trees!! Good to know about the stinky “female” seeds! Lol! 😜
I thoroughly enjoyed this tribute to the gingko, Mike. I loved the photos here, the distant and close-up helped give the perspective of this massive tree. I have never seen such a big gingko in my life. I found myself fantasizing about a trip east to see the groves. I also enjoyed the brochure and info. I think gingkos are so beautiful, with their leaves, and without them too. I love touching the leaves too, espec. when they’re new. Thanks so much for this gingko celebration.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jet. That posting brought back a flood of memories of last November, most of which I spent in Paris. The world today is so different than it was a year ago.