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Welcome to the plants forum

Daniel HaynesDaniel Haynes Posts: 393 admin

Welcome to the plants forum, the place to discuss dahlias, conifers, alpines, cacti, culinary herbs or … any other plant that interests you. Share growing tips, recommend a variety or post photos of a mystery flower.

Daniel Haynes

Editor, gardenersworld.com

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  • happymarionhappymarion Posts: 4,591

    Many people do not seem to know how beautiful the maidenhair tree (Gingko or Ginkgo biloba) is, despite many having been planted in the streets of london, so i am posting this picture of this one in the Bristol Uiversity Botanic garden which I

    image

    photographed on Dec,1st.

  • happymarionhappymarion Posts: 4,591

    Heavens - when you click on the picture to enlarge it you can scroll down and up.  it is sensational!

  • Daniel HaynesDaniel Haynes Posts: 393 admin

    Gingkos are magnificent aren't they, and they make a very handsome street tree. Lots in New York, too, apparently...

  • Hello Happymarion,

    Thanks for your lovely picture of the ginkgo. The leaves are a really wonderful yellow. In a street that I walk down on my way to work, there is a female ginkgo. I know that it is female because for weeks now it has been dropping rancid-smelling 'fruits' all over the pavement. I love walking past it in the morning as ginkgos are such special trees for many reasons. However I think I'd be a bit fed up if I lived in the house that is situated a few feet away from it!

    Emma

    The Gardeners' World web team

  • happymarionhappymarion Posts: 4,591

    Yes, Emma, they made such a mess on the sidewalks in Florida they were replaced by American Oaks, but the ones sold by nurseries nowadays are usually male so no trouble with the fruits. The young tree we have at the Bristol Botanic Garden also has much bigger leaves than the old one so new varieties are on sale too.

    They are a delicacy to some Chinese  so their common name is the Chinese Apricot and the Japanese roast and salt the seeds like we do peanuts and serve them in bars as a preventative for hangovers.

     The gingko is used in Chinese medicine for cardiovascular disease as well so it is a good example of "if a plant is threatened in the wild find a use for it".  It was thought to be extinct in the wild for many years but fairly recently was discovered again in a remote part of China.  It is stories like that that illustrate how important Botanic Gardens and ordinary gardeners are to plant diversity.

  • happymarionhappymarion Posts: 4,591

    For those not familiar with the fruits here is a close-up of the tree above taken on Dec,1st.

     

  • Hello Happymarion,

    Thank you for your picture of the fruits on the ginkgo. It looks quite festive doesn't it? As you say, it is possible to buy new cultivars of ginkgo. Anyone who would like to make a study of them could visit Kew Gardens to see quite a few of them in the heart of the bamboo garden.

    Emma.

    gardenersworld.com team

  • There's a lovely Ginko at beth Chatto's which contrasts beautifully with the evergreens around it.

    I was going to upload a picture of it, but the site objected to my large file as being too big, and objected to the smaller file which I've already created for my blog, saying it wasn't a valid path. Why not? Is it because it has words in the jpeg name?image

  • I am a great fan of this tree too and am attempting to raise new plants from cuttings (hardwood) this year. The City Council in Nottingham have planted some of these in the otherwise rather drab square in the town centre and I am looking forward to seeing these mature. There are a few specimens in the local country park at Ruddington on the site of an ammunition dump (since cleared) and I think it was an inspired idea to plant them.

  • Hello Newcastle,

    There are a few different methods you can use for propagating ginkgos, and hardwood cuttings have many advantages. Not least is the fact that you can be sure of the sex of the new plant and avoid, or deliberately choose, to produce a tree with 'interesting' scented fruits. Hardwood cuttings are also low-maintenance and usually trouble free. Please do let us know about the progress of your venture, and any other propagation you undertake.

    Emma.

    gardenersworld.com team

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