Ginkgo biloba.

Although I'm not obligated to enter RHS plant identification tests as part of my apprenticeship, recently I have taken up the gauntlet. Every test includes thirty different plants found in Hyde Hall's gardens, and we have to learn some information on each. We also have to know their respective families, and - in the same way it once amazed me to learn that elephants and hyraxes are related - discovering which plants belong together is completely fascinating.
     Ginkgo biloba, a tree with such otherworldly-looking leaves, is part of the family Ginkgoaceae which is truly prehistoric. The heyday of the Ginkgoaceae was during the Jurassic era, 160 million years ago; dinosaurs walked under their canopies, not humans. It is only this tree which survives of their number, making it a very special species indeed.


Ginkgo biloba, 'Maidenhair Tree'.
(Deciduous tree.)

Planting: Autumn. Moist, well-drained soil.
Flowering: Spring.
Aspect: Full sun.
Hardiness: Hardy enough to have survived about two-hundred million years.

Notes: Having survived ancient climates and environments, the ginkgo biloba is unsurprisingly tolerant to pollution of the modern day and perfectly adept to urban living. Six survived the Hiroshima bomb, a relatively well-known story but something I still can barely believe.