Tyler, famous for the Tyler Rose Garden and miles of colorful azaleas lining the streets in spring, has another plant with fan-shaped leaves that attracts attention from Texas tree fans (pun intended). On the grounds of the Tyler City Hall stands a living monument to the Ice Ages and to the city’s early history. On the south-eastern lawn lives an old, large ginkgo tree, brought to us by a famous Smith County resident.
This tree is now known as the Hubbard ginkgo because the former Texas governor and ambassador to Japan, Richard Bennett Hubbard of Lindale, Texas, brought this tree back from Japan as a sapling in 1889. Hubbard gave one of two ginkgo trees to a close friend, Colonel John H. Brown of Tyler, who planted it on his property. The Brown property was later purchased by the city of Tyler, where the new city hall was built in 1939.
Now about 135 years old, the Hubbard ginkgo has withstood the test of time. In the 1960s, a lightning strike opened a wound down the side of this tree. The long scar is still visible on the southeast side of the trunk. The tree survived and is still in relatively good shape, though it is crowded by large neighboring pecan and Southern magnolia trees. The Hubbard ginkgo has its own entry in Famous Trees of Texas, an interest-ing book by the Texas A&M Forest Service. The book also mentions a second ginkgo brought back by Hubbard, which was planted on the grounds of the governor’s mansion in Austin. I haven’t been able to determine if that tree survived, but folks in Austin I have checked with have no knowledge of it.
On the north side of City Hall two more ginkgo trees were planted in the 1940s. Although one died several years ago due to impacts from construction, the other still lives. These old trees are marvelous specimens and attest to the adaptability of this Ice Age survivor.
The ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is truly a living fossil, dating back to the Jurassic period. It is the only member of the Ginkgoaceae, a once large family of plants that became extinct long ago. Ginkgo biloba is not closely related to any living family or group in the plant kingdom. The fossil record shows it was once distributed over much of the world, along with its contemporaries — the dinosaurs. Ginkgoes are extremely rare in their native Chinese habitat. Ginkgoes are widely planted in China, Japan, Europe and America, where they have adapted. It is speculated that ginkgoes became extinct in North America, Europe and western Siberia due to glaciers, but they survived in Asia in the milder climate.
Ginkgoes have long been cultivated in the Orient, where they are highly esteemed not only as a landscape plant but also for their nuts and the medicinal properties of their leaves. Ginkgoes were introduced to Europe about 1730 and to the United States in 1784. The famous Kew Gardens in London has one of the first gink-goes sent to Europe from China. Planted in 1762, just three years after the Garden was established, it is still going strong.
From a landscape point of view, the ginkgo is a wonderful tree. It is attractive and very long-lived. There are many specimens more than 1,000 years old, with the oldest in western China reportedly to be at least 3,500 years old. It grows slowly, especially during the first few years after it is planted, and it is not readily attacked by insects or diseases. That makes sense since it has survived virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Recent studies have been made to determine the cause of its longevity, with some interesting results. One conclusion is that ginkgoes die mainly due to stress or causes other than old age.
Ginkgo leaves are uniquely shaped like a fan with a cleft down the middle, much like a maidenhair fern leaflet (Adiantum), from which it gets its other common name, the maidenhair tree. These green leaves turn bright canary-yellow in late fall, and it is at this time that you can easily spot any ginkgo tree in the neighborhood. Ginkgoes hold their leaves well into fall and usually drop them all at once, leaving the ground covered with a lovely carpet of golden leaves.
Several years ago, two rows of 14 trees of the cultivar ‘Princeton Sentry’ were planted to create an allée on the Tyler Junior College campus. They are located between Jenkins Hall and Wise Cultural Arts, leading up to the Ina Brundrett Azalea Garden. In time, these trees will probably become a landmark in Tyler.
Ginkgoes are dioecious, which means male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. That means a seedling tree will be either a non-fruiting male or a fruit-bearing female. The plum-like fruit is orange-yellow, with a thin layer of flesh covering an oval silver or white nut. The word “ginkgo” comes from the Chinese word for silver fruit or nut. Fallen fruit give off an extremely putrid, offensive smell, so you would be wise to avoid female ginkgoes. If the tree is not a named, grafted variety, it will almost certainly be a seedling; so, you would have a 50-50 chance of getting a male tree. The fruit’s flesh can cause severe dermatitis some-what like poison ivy.
Ginkgo nuts are considered a delicacy in Asia and are consumed in limited quantities at banquets, wed-dings and other social gatherings. Note the word “limited” — the nut contains some toxic compounds that can cause serious medical problems. Many references caution against eating ginkgoes, especially for children, and to only eat a few at a time.
As mentioned earlier, ginkgoes are slow-growing (one-to-three feet a year) but are long-lived, pest-free trees. They tolerate a variety of soil conditions but grow best in well-drained, loamy soil in a full-sun location. They can grow 50-to-80 feet tall with a 30-to-40-foot spread. So, give them plenty of room to grow. This tree has many forms of growth habit. A few of the more popular male varieties are: ‘Autumn Gold’, with very good fall color; ‘Pendula’, with weeping branches; ‘Princeton Gold’, with an upright-to-spreading form; and ‘Princeton Sentry’, with a columnar growth habit. There are also dwarf cultivars (available through specialty nurseries) that can make an attractive accent plant in any garden.
Why not create your own Jurassic Park in your yard by planting this living relic of the past. It is a great plant to use to teach youngsters and maybe spark their interest in horticulture, forestry or botany. The durable, long-lived and attractive ginkgo will provide a glorious, golden-yellow fall display for you and all who enjoy seeing it.
By Keith Hansen
Smith County Horticulturist, Emeritus
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Owner, East Texas Gardening