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Let’s talk about ginkgo trees
Ancient and otherworldly, ginkgo trees can add a brilliant splash of fall color to any landscape.
Photo by Sirintra Pumsopa/iStock Photo
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Stop the spread
Keep the spread of butterfly bushes in check by removing spent flower clusters before seed heads open in November.
Photo by L.A. Jackson
There are plenty of plants to chat about in the garden, but if you want a real conversation piece, try the ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba).
For starters, it is very old—set your time machine back to 200 million years ago, and you will find ginkgo in full flaunt. Also, with apologies to Charles Darwin, it forgot about evolving and has essentially remained the same over the eons. Call ginkgo a living fossil, if you will.
So, the ginkgo is ancient—now add otherworldly. During the spring and summer, the ginkgo fades into the same green-ness of many other shrubs and trees, which, from a distance, appears rather ho-hum. But closer inspection reveals weird, fan-shaped leaves that look like they would fit perfectly in an Avatar sequel.
Ginkgo trees are tough, too. I’ve seen them doing quite well on mall parking lot berms and traffic islands in full sun, so in a pampered backyard, they will certainly thrive. They can stretch to over 60 feet tall with a 35-foot-plus spread, so give them room. As an alternative, consider a dwarf ginkgo. There are many mini-cultivars available, with easy-to-find examples being—literally, in descending order—Jade Butterfly, which tops out at around 12 feet tall, Spring Grove (6 feet) and the uber-short Mariken (2 to 3 feet).
If you fancy more flash, variegated ginkgo trees are also available. I have been enjoying the popular selection White Lightning with leaves scratched by pale yellow. It is another shorty, only stretching to about 8 feet high.
Ginkgo trees are dioecious, meaning there are female and male trees. Many new cultivars are ginkgo guys, and this is on purpose. Female ginkgo trees produce nuts, which, after falling on the ground, begin to smell worse than nasty. So, unless you enjoy stink, skip female ginkgo selections.
You won’t find gingko trees at every garden center, but it is worth asking the staff if they can order a particular cultivar. Online shopping is always an option, and, in this region, MrMaple (mrmaple.com) in East Flat Rock, North Carolina, offers a large ginkgo selection.
Finally, an additional ginkgo plus for autumn: When colder temperatures arrive, its foliage will turn a handsome yellow. This show lingers but a few days, and then, almost in unison, all the leaves desert their branches, forming a carpet of chilled gold under the bare tree. Quite a sight—one you will be talking about all season.
October in the Garden
• Whether you grow or buy pumpkins for Halloween decorations, remember that they will last longer if they still have a few inches of stem attached. Keeping the rind intact will also extend the show-off life.
• Before herbaceous perennials are nipped to the ground by cold weather, set markers beside them or map the area so they won’t accidentally be disturbed or dug up during the busy spring planting season.
• Root prune any shrubs or small trees that need to be relocated and then wait until late January or February to make the move. This extra chore done now will greatly increase the chances of successful transplants later.
Tip of the Month
Many gardeners cast aspersions upon butterfly bushes (mainly older cultivars) for being seedy, even weedy—sometimes to the point of becoming invasive. If you want to prevent your butterfly bush from scattering its progenies hither and yon in your yard, now is the time to do it. Simply cut off and dispose of spent flower clusters before their seed heads begin to open, which usually happens around November. Keep in mind this is not the time for a full-blown pruning—wait until late winter to cut back overgrown branches.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.