Tree-Walk through Leopold's Park
Identity
Category :
Arbre remarquable
Latin name :
Ginkgo biloba
French name :
Ginkgo biloba
Dutch name :
Japanse notenboom
English name :
Maidenhair tree
Family :
Ginkgoaceae
Height :
20 m
Targeted height :
This species can grow up to 30 m
Diameter of the crown :
12 m
Trunk circumference :
184 cm
Expected circumference :
500 cm
Expected longevity :
Can live for more than 1000 years
Origin / Indigenous
Asia, south-west China
Favorite soil :
All
Favorite climate
Rather hot, humid to temperate, but acclimatising to the Belgian climate
Collection of the Belgian State, permanent loan to the Meise Botanic Garden: Von Siebold, Flora Japonica, pl. 136
Features and characters of the individual
In Japan, the ginkgo biloba is a sacred tree. Its species has survived 300 million years of evolution, climate change and deforestation. In the past, in Japan, ginkgos were planted in front of Buddhist and Shinto temples. Some of these trees are more than 1000 years old. The ginkgo has a reputation for being immortal. It is incredibly resistant to fire and pollution. It is the first tree to have grown back in Hiroshima after the atomic bomb had devastated everything... This species has saved several temples and buildings from major fires and earthquakes, notably in Tokyo in 1923. So nowadays it is often planted in front of sanctuaries, institutions and schools in order to protect them. Was it the intention of the gardener who planted this young tree right outside the door of the Lycée Emile Jacqmain? This tree is part of the natural heritage of the Brussels Capital Region.
