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$45.00
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo is a very attractive deciduous tree with distinctive bright green lobed leaves which produce a stunning show of gold in autumn. The leaves have a unique fan-shaped venation pattern reminiscent of ferns, hence Ginkgo’s other common name, the Maidenhair Tree. Hailing from China and widely cultivated there for centuries for medicinal use, the name Ginkgo comes for the Chinese for ‘silver fruit’. Ginkgo are extremely long-lived trees, with the oldest specimens believed to be over 3,500 years old! They are also known for being tolerant of atmospheric pollution and widely planted in cities for this reason. Incredibly, some trees even survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. They grow slowly to a height of 25 metres or more.
PB5 60-80cm
Ginkgo does well in all parts of the country – temperate, Mediterranean and sub-tropical. It prefers full sun and a sheltered site. It prefers soil to be well drained and does well on limestone soils, but can also tolerate hard packed soils Once established they are drought tolerant.
Trees which are grown for leaf production (for their medicinal benefits) can be coppiced in order to improve both yield and quality (higher flavonoid content). They can be planted at 3 – 6m spacings. Ginkgos are dioecious, so only females produce fruit. Our plants are seed grown so we cannot tell if they are male or female. It can take 20 years or more for the plants to come into fruit and seed production. I have read that plants can be sexed prior to maturity as female plants tend to have almost horizontal branches and deeply incised leaves whilst males have branches at a sharper angle to the trunk and less deeply lobed leaves. Branches of male trees can be grafted onto female trees to fertilize them and can pollinate up to 5 females.
The fruit contains butanoic acid and has a strong unpleasant smell of rancid butter.
Ginkgo has been used medicinally in Asia for centuries. The seeds have been used to aid digestion, respiratory and bladder conditions. The leaves are better known for their medicinal uses and Ginkgo leaf extract is widely available. Leaves are harvested in late summer and can be dried for later use made into a tincture or infusion. The broad spectrum of medicinal actions, including improved circulation to eye and brain, make Ginkgo useful for a wide range of chronic degenerative conditions such as dementia, and also for anxiety disorders and tinnitus.
Primary Actions: Antihypoxic, antioxidant, cardiovascular tonic, anti-coagulant, vasodilator
Parts Used: fruit (seeds) and leaves
N.B. Shipping costs are added AFTER you have placed your order, you will then be emailed an invoice with bank details.
Smallest box rate:
This can fit up to 9 plants in 9cm pots.
Shipping a single tree can be expensive. We may be able to fit more in the box for the same price! See our shipping rates for single and multi tree boxes.
Combining sizes?
No problem, we will work out the best rate for you once you’ve placed your order.
Jo has a passion for growing herbs but is not a qualified herbalist and has no medical background.
We are lucky to have Patricia Beagle working here at times, who is qualified, and some of her advice does appear on these pages, but herbs act differently for different people and can interact with other medicines. We therefore always recommend that you consult with your own qualified health-care practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing or on any medications.
Kahikatea Farm cannot take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants or a plant not having the effect it is reputed to have.
