The Ginkgo Tree
 Ginkgo biloba
 Ginkgoaceae
Maidenhair tree

Washington's Ginkgo State Park

50 Million years ago, Ginkgo trees ranged throughout temperate regions of the world, including much of what is now the sagebrush desert of central Washington*. One species, Ginkgo biloba, native to southeast China, survived the millennia, preserved for its majestic beauty in Asian gardens; all others went extinct. Even this species, Ginkgo biloba , is no longer found outside of cultivation. When English botanists "discovered" the Ginkgo in Asia, they brought samples back to Europe, where its value for cultivation was immediately recognized. Ginkgos have been making their way back into the world's flora ever since as much prized street and lawn trees.

The Ginkgo is a broad-leafed deciduous tree. The fan-shaped leaves are produced in clusters on short branches, or spur shoots, along the longer branches of the tree. The leaves are a delicate soft green throughout the late spring and summer months. Their fall color is a brilliant gold. In Washington, the Ginkgo typically loses its leaves at Halloween. Look closely at the vein pattern of the leaves. Starting at the petiole, or leaf stalk, note how the veins continuously divide into two's. This vein pattern, called dichotomous venation, is unique to the Ginkgo tree. Other broad leafed plants have one of three common vein patterns: palmate, where the main veins radiate from a common point at the base of the leaf, such as the veins of a Maple leaf; parallel, where the main veins are parallel to each other, such as the leaves of grasses; or pinnate, where the leaf has one mid-vein, and other veins branch from the mid-vein, such as the leaves of alders or Rhododendrons.

Two small Ginkgo trees once graced BC's campus. One, called "Baby Gink", was donated by a former BC student in the 1980's. BC grounds personnel chain-sawed baby gink at ground level winter, 2002, asserting it was a "traffic obstruction". The Ginkgo did not give up, Baby Gink responded to this travesty with several adventious shoots, thriving in spring, 2003. The second Ginkgo was relocated a number of times by campus staff and failed to thrive. Both trees were the area scheduled for demolition for the BC student parking garage, June, 2003. Students in the Biology 203 class and BC grounds staff helped rkr salvage and relocate both trees (baby Gink literally from the construction workers' trash heap). Baby Gink is still "fighting" and the second Ginkgo is doing well in its new home. BC purchased a small Ginkgo tree in spring, 2004, to replace the two removed; it is located near the NW corner of the L building on the BC campus. As of fall, 2004, no construction is scheduled for this location.

The largest Ginkgo biloba tree in this area is believed to be in Issaquah, located in the parking lot on the east side of Front Street, adjacent to an espresso stand, just south of Sunset Boulevard. The preservation of this tree several years ago is an interesting story of its own.

The Ginkgo tree is a related to the group of plants classified as gymnosperms, or conifers. The seeds of gymnosperms (which means "naked seed") are not surrounded by a fruit as are the seeds of flowering plants, but are protected by cones, or by a fleshy seed coat. Ginkgo trees are dioecious; male and female cones are found on separate plants. (Most gymnosperms and flowering plants have both sexes on the same plant.) Although frequently called a fruit, it is the seed coat of the Ginkgo that is fleshy; the mature seeds resemble small plums or cherries. Unfortunately (for human noses), the seed coat decomposes at maturity, producing butyric (or butanoic) acid, which smells like rancid butter, and caproic (hexanoic)acid, which smells like old gym socks. These odors probably attracted a dispersal agent when Ginkgos lived in the wild. Today the odors attract chain saw operating humans. For this reason, most Ginkgos now planted are male trees.

In addition to its striking appearance, and value as an ornamental street and lawn tree, the seeds of the Ginkgo are eaten throughout much of Asia. You can sometimes find them fresh (minus the seed coat) at Uwajimaya, or in cans, marketed as white nuts.

* On your next trip east on I-90, take the Vantage exit and follow the signs to Washington's Ginkgo State Park. A few Ginkgo biloba trees are planted on the grounds. The visitor center has a magnificent display of petrified wood, and murals depicting the geological history of the area. From the visitor center you can also enjoy breathtaking views of the Columbia River below. After a picnic lunch, drive a few miles up the old Vantage highway to the Ginkgo forest trail head. Several trails lead through the sagebrush to areas where petrified logs have been excavated. In spring the desert is in bloom, with dozens of species of wildflowers to enjoy as well as the petrified wood displays. You can also find Washington's cactus species here (and a few rattlesnakes on occasion). Before your return home, cross the Columbia River, take the first exit and head toward Wanapum Dam a few miles down the road, passing through some fine sand dunes (and sand dune plants) along the way. Wanapum Dam has a good interpretive center, with emphasis on the Native American populations of the area. If you have time, now return back to I-90 and continue east to the next exit. If you get on the correct dirt road, after a few miles you can view the largest slag heap of diatomite (diatomaceous earth) in Washington State. It is impressive!


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This page most recently modified on July 8, 2009.