Use with caution
Only female ginkgo trees bear the seeds. The soft outer pulp smells strongly of rancid butter and can irritate skin like poison ivy - wear gloves to handle it. The inner nut is edible cooked and is eaten in Asian cooking, but it contains ginkgotoxin (MPN): eating more than a small number, especially by children, can cause poisoning and even seizures. Keep portions small and never eat the nuts raw.
Ginkgo biloba
treeGinkgo (Ginkgo biloba), the maidenhair tree, is a living fossil - an ancient, almost pest-proof, fan-leaved tree of 50 to 80 ft famous for brilliant gold fall color. It is dioecious: only female trees bear the round, fleshy seeds, whose nut-like kernel is a delicacy in East Asian cooking. The catch is that the female seed pulp smells foul and irritates skin, so landscapers usually plant males - but for the nut you need a female, with a male within pollination range. Ginkgo is famously tolerant of city pollution, poor soil, and neglect, but very slow to come into seed, often 15 to 20 years or more.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 14 days
Harvest
~15 yrs
to first harvest
Difficulty
easy
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
25-30 ft apart
Planting Depth
Set at nursery soil line; plant a grafted female for nuts
Soil pH
5.0-8.0
Soil Type
Adaptable; well-drained
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 8
When to Fertilize
Early spring if growth is weak
Fertilizer
Balanced; low needs once established
Ginkgo grows in full sun in almost any well-drained soil and tolerates heat, cold, drought, salt, and urban air better than nearly any other tree. Plant in spring or fall and water through establishment; after that it is exceptionally low-maintenance and rarely troubled by pests or disease. For nut production you must plant a known female (grafted, since seedlings take decades to reveal their sex) plus a male nearby for pollination. Site a fruiting female away from patios and walkways, because the dropped seed pulp is messy and malodorous. Little pruning is needed.
Direct sow
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Oct 26 · Year 16
Year 1
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Few serious pests
Ginkgo is remarkably free of insect and disease problems; the main care is simply good drainage and patience
The one real risk is wet feet - plant in well-drained soil and avoid overwatering
Browning leaf edges follow severe drought in young trees; water deeply during establishment until roots are deep
The seeds ripen in fall and drop to the ground with their soft, fleshy, strong-smelling coat. Wear gloves and gather them up, then remove and discard the pulp - it irritates skin like poison ivy - to reveal the hard, pale inner shell. Rinse and dry the shelled nuts. Before eating, the inner kernel must be cooked (roasted, boiled, or steamed), and eaten only in small amounts. Handle the whole process in gloves and wash up well afterward.
The ginkgo nut is a soft, chewy, faintly sweet delicacy in Asian cuisine - in congee, soups, and savory dishes - but is strictly a small-portion food because of its ginkgotoxin content; never eat it raw or in quantity. As a tree, ginkgo is unmatched as a tough, long-lived, pollution-proof shade and street tree with spectacular, uniform golden fall color.
Only female ginkgo trees bear the seeds. The soft outer pulp smells strongly of rancid butter and can irritate skin like poison ivy - wear gloves to handle it. The inner nut is edible cooked and is eaten in Asian cooking, but it contains ginkgotoxin (MPN): eating more than a small number, especially by children, can cause poisoning and even seizures. Keep portions small and never eat the nuts raw.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.
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