Foliage now- October 2009

[Gerdk]

Thank you Rudi,
Unfortunately the ' Wilhelma ' is a little bit too far from here to make an autum journey. In the seventies of last century I was employed in a small nursery which
sold Gingkos - but I wasn't told whether they were selected or not. My own tree either is a male one or is too young to bear fruits.

Gerd

[ruweiss]

Gerd,I am sure,that several arboretums in your region have
female Ginkgos in their collections.

[Lesley Cox]

The nurseries in NZ only have male forms available.
An interesting and disgusting selection of smells apparently. Presumably if the smell is from the fallen fruit only, it will be from the fleshy coating on the seed as it decays? I think any smell would be worth it if from the incredible avenue in John's last link. But they are probably males too. I'd happily travel a long way to see that sight.

[Onion]

Uli, I never found a fruiting Ginkgo in my region - is it true that nurseries here are
selling only male plants ? Are you able to tell me a place with a female tree?
Interesting story concerning the grafted female branch!

Gerd
[/quote]

Gerd,

they sell every time only male plants   , because you can not decide if a tree is male or female. I don't know a female tree in your area. But I know big trees in the Flora of Cologne and the Forest botanical garden of Cologne. Someone tell me the story, that in a town at the Niederrhein a avenue of female Ginkgo exist. But I'm not sure if this avenue exist any more.

Uli

Female species are in the botanic garden of Hannover and the Forest botanical garden of Goettingen. Maybe E. Pasche know a species.

[Regelian]

One can tell the males from the females by way of the branching.  Females are much broader branched, while the males tend to an almost fastigiate form.  This is pretty obvious even when young.  Here, in Cologne, we do have a few females as street trees, but they are still to immature to bear fruit.  We'll have to see what happens when.  Germans are not particularly tolerant of bad smells!   But, then, who is?

[Gerdk]

Thank you Uli and Jamie - a very long time ago I saw fruits of a female tree at the island of Mainau/Bodensee. Hope I'll find another one here in the neighborhood one times.

One can tell the males from the females by way of the branching.  Females are much broader branched, while the males tend to an almost fastigiate form. 

... easy to remember - just as with human variety!   

Gerd

[Paddy Tobin]

I have seen female Ginkgos trees used to great effect in some Italian towns where used as planting in town squares where the branches spread out wide and provided great shade during the heat of the day.