On the map in 2 countries tree symbol: South Korea

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba

Family: Ginkgoaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: China, South Korea.

A stately tree growing 30–40 m tall, with distinctive fan-shaped, often two-lobed leaves with forking veins that turn golden yellow in autumn. It is a gymnosperm and dioecious – female trees produce seeds in a fleshy coat that gives off an unpleasant smell when ripe. It is remarkably resistant to pollution, disease and pests, and individual trees live for more than a thousand years. Roasted seeds (baiguo) are a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, and leaf extract is used in medicine.

Description from: China.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

China no. 2 of 15 native

The ginkgo survived in the wild only in the mountains of China, from where Buddhist monks spread it to temples; today it lines the avenues of almost every Chinese city, and golden ginkgos in autumn are one of the sights the Chinese love…

South Korea no. 9 of 10 cultivated

City tree of Seoul

The ginkgo is Seoul’s city tree and dominates the street trees of many Korean cities, and roasted eunhaeng seeds are a popular autumn snack.