Ginkgo biloba

Specifications

Family

Ginkgoaceae

Species

Ginkgo biloba L.

Common name

Ginkgo biloba
Commonly known as

ginkgo tree

maidenhair tree

Description

The wood is whitish in colour, sometimes with a brown false heartwood, easy to work, with a volumetric weight of around 0.42.

Plant morphology

A large tree reaching a height of 30-40 m, its crown up to 9 m wide is pyramidal in young plants and oval in older specimens. The main branches (macroblasts) bear numerous shorter twigs (brachyblasts) on which the leaves and fertile structures are attached. The bark is smooth, silvery in young plants, becoming dark brown and fissured in mature specimens. Its deciduous leaves, 5-8 cm long, have long petioles and a light green blade with a typical fan shape (labelliform leaf), slightly bilobed and with dichotomous veins; in autumn they take on a highly decorative bright yellow color. It is a dioecious plant and pollination is anemophilous. Flowering occurs in spring. Several months pass between pollination and fertilization. Fertilization occurs on the ground in early autumn when the ovules have already fallen from the mother plant and have almost reached their full size. The gametes are ciliated and motile, as is the case in many primitive groups (Cycadophyta, mosses, ferns, and algae). The seeds are covered in a fleshy, yellow, waxy envelope with an unpleasant odor when ripe.

Natural occurrence

Countries of origin and distribution

Originally from China

Habitat and ecology

A sun-loving species, widely used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens, but also as a street tree. It tolerates pollution very well. It prefers acidic, non-asphyxiating soils in cool climates, but can tolerate temperatures down to -35°C.

Uses

Application areas

It is suitable for planking, carpentry and construction work.

Threats and Conservation

Threats

Natural ginkgo populations are extremely small and are mainly located in Zhejiang province in China, while other small populations are too small to sustain themselves, with problems in terms of survival and maintenance of genetic diversity (see bottleneck effect, genetic drift, etc.).

Conservation measures

Although the plant has been widely cultivated for centuries and is widespread throughout the world, there are currently no in situ conservation measures in place that would be necessary for natural populations.

IUCN Red List IUCN

EN - Endangered - At risk of extinction

CITES. Year of assessment CITES

1998

1975

2050

CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento

1998

Not present.

Technical data

Aesthetic characteristics

Grain

Slightly obvious

Texture

Fine

Physical and mechanical properties

Density
ρ

465 kg/m³

Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.

MPa

Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.

MPa

Bending strength
M.O.R.

76 MPa

Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.

9100 MPa

Miscellaneous

Thought extinct in the wild, two relict stands were recently discovered in Zhejiang Province in eastern China. Not all botanists agree that these stands are truly natural, as ginkgo has been extensively cultivated for millennia by Chinese monks. Given its state of preservation in the wild, it is best to avoid its use.