What Is Ginko Baloba?

Ginko Biloba, or Gingko Biloba, also known as Maidenhair Tree, is interesting for many reasons. Most of us know it as an herbal remedy, but it also a useful and widely planted landscaping tree. It has an interesting botanical history and is classified as a living fossil. It has a long history as an herbal remedy, and many medical programs are studying its uses and efficacy. It is usually used, even over the counter, as a standardized extract rather than in its natural form. A beautiful and noble tree, its usefulness may only be starting to be known.

History

• The Ginko Biloba tree was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in China in the 17th century. Since then it has been widely propagated and now grows all over the planet as a cultivated tree. The species is one of the oldest plants still alive on the planet, believed to be more than 180 million years old. It is the only species in its genus still living. Its continued existence may be due to human cultivation and preservation because of its medicinal value. It is not known if any wild populations still exist. There are living trees in China that are believed to be up to 4,000 years old.

Benefits

• The Ginko Biloba must be considered as having two types of benefits. The tree is a useful landscaping plant, but it is also widely accepted as having wide pharmaceutical potential. The leaves contain flavonoids and terpenoids, both of which have shown promise, both anecdotally and in clinical use. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants. Terpenoids are effective in dilating blood vessels and reducing platelet stickiness. Medical testing has shown Ginko Biloba to have effectiveness in dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, eye problems, intermittent claudication, tinnitus, and memory impairment. Other uses are being explored.

Warning

• Ginko Biloba is considered a very safe herbal supplement, taken regularly by millions of people as an over the counter remedy for memory improvement and general mental acuity. Still, Ginko Biloba should be taken with caution by anyone on blood thinning medication, including aspirin, because it can increase the risk of hemorrhage. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid Ginko Biloba. Your doctor should be informed of Ginko Biloba use because it can interact either negatively or positively with a variety of medications, including anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antihypertensives, blood thinners, blood sugar mediators, Cyclosporine, thiazides and Trazodone.

Size

• The Ginko Biloba has become a widely planted landscape tree, due to its adaptability to a wide variety of growing conditions and its natural lack of pest problems. It is known for being a very urban-tolerant tree, but it must be used only where its potential size is taken into account. A single tree can live for 1,000 years, and commonly will exceed 100 feet tall and 80 feet wide if allowed to spread. Some trees in China have been known to exceed 150 feet in height. Cultivated varieties and cramped urban and suburban conditions have produced trees that seldom top 80 feet tall, and some are much narrower, with a more columnar form. Still, this is a tree that can get out of hand, and it needs to be planted in a spot that takes that tendency into account.

Identification

• The Ginko is a large tree. It starts out as a columnar form with sparse branching, then fills in with age as it continues to grow taller. The typical garden specimen will grow to 60 to 80 feet tall and perhaps 40 feet wide. Leaves are fan-shaped and lobed. They are usually about three inches long, but can grow to twice that size. Autumn color turns them to a bright golden yellow before they fall.