General Culture:
Best grown in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Young plants should be staked for support. Good tolerance for urban conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Ginkgo biloba is a deciduous conifer (a true gymnosperm) that features distinctive, two-lobed, somewhat leathery, fan-shaped leaves with diverging (almost parallel) veins. Ginkgos are dioecious (separate male and female trees). Female trees are considered to be undesirable because they produce seeds encased in fleshy, fruit-like coverings which, at maturity in autumn, are messy and emit a noxious, foul odor upon falling to the ground and splitting open. As a result, nurseries today generally sell only male cultivars which are “fruitless”. Ginkgo trees are commonly called maidenhair trees in reference to the resemblance of the fan-shaped leaves to maidenhair fern leaflets (pinnae). ‘Jade Butterflies’ is a slow-growing, dwarf, male tree that grows in an upright, vase-shaped form to only 4-6’ tall over the first 10 years. However, some authorities estimate this tree may reach as much as 10-12’ tall over the first 10 years. Mature height is currently unknown. Deeply bi-lobed leaves purportedly resemble butterflies with jade green wings, hence the cultivar name. Foliage turns a uniform and very showy golden yellow in autumn. Insignificant greenish male flowers bloom in catkins in spring.
Problems:
No known serious insect or disease problems.
Uses:
Excellent dwarf tree for small areas of the landscape.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2010
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