Scientific name: Ginkgo biloba
Common name: common ginkgo
Native: No
Native range: Native to China, but is commonly planted in North America and Europe [2].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for G. biloba.
USDA Zones: 3-8A [1]
Maximum age: Ginkgo biloba is extremely long-lived. In its native range, individuals often live to 1000 years, but may survive up to 3000 years [3,4].
Ecology: Wildlife prefer native trees over the non-native common ginkgo; it hosts just 5 species of North American caterpillars [6].
Ethnobotany: In China, the seeds are a common food [2]. They are delicious but require careful processing, as the fleshy coating can cause dermatitis [2,5].
[1] https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/
[2] https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_series/wo/wo_ah727/
[3] https://www-pnas-org.proxy.buffalostate.edu/content/117/4/2201
[4] https://www.science.org/content/article/how-ginkgo-biloba-achieves-near-immortality
[5] https://www.eattheweeds.com/ginkgo-putrid-perfection/
[6] https://www.audubon.org/news/why-native-plants-are-better-birds-and-people
