Anyone else have a Ginkgo tree?

[RandyLittrell 3,886]

Our Ginkgo tree some years will just drop almost all it's leaves completely overnight. It was really beautiful this year!! Last year they dropped while still green, no pretty yellow. 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 69,357]

Very cool.  

 

Nothing like that around here.  

 

[lynnmor 7,447]

Here is mine.  Yes, it usually waits to Thanksgiving and then drops all the leaves in a matter of hours, I think that it takes a good freeze to trigger the drop.  Those leaves are very heavy and hard to pick up with a lawn sweeper.

 

Edited November 30, 2024 by lynnmor

[RandyLittrell 3,886]

24 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

Here is mine.  Yes, it usually waits to Thanksgiving and then drops all the leaves in a matter of hours, I think that it takes a good freeze to trigger the drop.  Those leaves are very heavy and hard to pick up with a lawn sweeper.

 

 

Yes, very thick and waxy! One year I was laid up having my knee replaced and didn't pick up the leaves and the grass was dead come spring. Learned my lesson there!!

 

We have lived here 30 years and it didn't bear any fruit the first 10 years or so, they say they will change gender and I think that is what ours did. The fruit smells like a cross between cat poop and vomit!!!

 

 

Randy

[lynnmor 7,447]

13 minutes ago, RandyLittrell said:

 

 

Yes, very thick and waxy! One year I was laid up having my knee replaced and didn't pick up the leaves and the grass was dead come spring. Learned my lesson there!!

 

We have lived here 30 years and it didn't bear any fruit the first 10 years or so, they say they will change gender and I think that is what ours did. The fruit smells like a cross between cat poop and vomit!!!

 

 

Randy

I just swept the lawn yesterday and there were some Ginkgo leaves down, they were thinner than usual probably due to the drought. With some leaves still green and thinner, it will likely be a much different drop this year.  Perhaps a neighbor planted a boyfriend for your tree to pollinate it.

[RandyLittrell 3,886]

32 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

Perhaps a neighbor planted a boyfriend for your tree to pollinate it.

 

That may very well be the case! 

 

Randy

[JimSraj 462]

Beautiful!

I think they drop their all leaves right after the first hard frost. 

[ebinmaine 69,357]

Reminds me of the tree in Harry Potter

[953 nut 56,475]

My wife saw pictures of the beautiful yellow foliage and wanted to get some Ginkgo trees for our yard. Went to the internet and found out about the slinky fruit and that ended that thought.

[SylvanLakeWH 26,366]

Nice to look at in someone else's yard... 

[wh500special 2,244]

Ginkgos might be my favorite tree.  Yours both are beautiful.  
 

They’re known as living fossils, virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. 
 

Their leaves are unique in many ways.  Distinctive fan shapes.  
 

My college has a stand of ginkgos lining the sidewalk that leads to the library. It is spectacular in the fall.  The trees are pushing 100 years old now and have an incredible presence.  They create an amazing carpet when they dump all their leaves. 

 

   (Picture is of those trees I nabbed from the web)
 

I never heard of ginkgos changing gender, but they do take a long time to reach maturity before they fruit.  A family friend who is a botanist indicated that this delayed maturity frustrates landscapers and homeowners who are treated to a beautiful tree for 20 years that all of a sudden develops acrid smelling fruit.  Fortunately, it’s not a long season for that.
 

Pretty lumber too.   Fantastic trees!
 

Steve 

Edited November 29, 2024 by wh500special

[Treepep 598]

Exactly.. Just survival.  Trees have perfect flowers both gender on each flower (apple)  Usually better pollination with another cultivar but will work either way I.e nature birds bees etc.

                                                       Both gender male and female on one tree (pecan,oak,birch beech etc) OR

                                                       Ginko Biloba are separate male trees or female trees.  Close proximity and the right amount of wind/water (technically water pollinated) and stank fruit on the female tree.   Usually occurring at extreme maturity or under duress they manage to produce lady parts on a "male"tree.  Pretty cool survival tactic!  clones ish

Fun scientific words to describerate those differences but...not necessary 

 

Arborist...Out!

[adsm08 2,320]

The college my dad works at used to have a bunch of ginko trees. I remember in 5th grade we had to do a leaf collection/book for science class and I was the only one with a Ginko leaf.

 

 I always thought the were really cool.