Ginkgo

It’s not too easy to spot the Ginkgo biloba (L., 1771) in the woods of the Medieval Garden, labelled as Albero della giovinezza (Tree of youth). It’s an intriguing specimen for a variety of reasons. The Gingko is the most famous living fossil of the plant genera; the term “living fossil” was coined by Charles Darwin to refer to a plant or animal whose characteristics have remained unchanged for millions of years: the Gingko has been around for many of those, the genus first appeared during the Permian period 270 million years ago. The Gingko is also one of the few Dioecious species which have the male and female reproductive structures on separate plants. The medieval garden’s plant is a rare female specimen and each year produces seeds encased in a fleshy shell which, when mature, gives off a nauseating smell although it might be said that’s a small price to pay for an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of such an unusual plant.