A Complete Analysis of the Latest Growing Regions and Distribution of the Ginkgo Tree
Ginkgo is a deciduous tree of the genus Ginkgo in the family Ginkgoaceae, and is the oldest relict plant among the gymnosperms left over after the Quaternary glaciation, growing relatively slowly with an extremely long lifespan; under natural conditions it takes more than twenty years from planting to bearing ginkgo nuts, and only after forty years can it bear fruit in large quantities. It has ornamental, economic and medicinal value. Now let us take a look at the growing regions and distribution of the ginkgo tree!
Growing Regions and Distribution of the Ginkgo Tree
The natural geographical distribution range of ginkgo is very wide, with large distributions in countries and regions such as China, Japan, Korea, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, France and Russia. In China, ancient ginkgo trees that grow well have been found from the eastern plains at elevations of a few meters to several dozen meters up to the southwestern mountainous areas at around 3000 m, with the largest numbers in provinces such as Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Guangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangsu and Guizhou.
Growing Environment of the Ginkgo Tree
Ginkgo is a sun-loving tree that prefers moderately moist, well-drained, deep loam, and is suited to growing in subtropical monsoon regions with relatively favorable water and heat conditions. It can grow well in both acidic soil and calcareous soil, with neutral or slightly acidic soil being the most suitable; it does not tolerate waterlogged sites and is relatively drought-tolerant, though it grows poorly in overly dry places, on rocky slopes or in low-lying wet sites. Early growth is relatively slow, and it sprouts suckers readily; female trees generally begin to bear fruit after about 20 years, and a 500-year-old large tree can still bear fruit normally.
Common Varieties of the Ginkgo Tree
1. Dongting Huang: The seed is obovate-round, plump, with the kernel averaging 3.53 grams and measuring 1.75×2.93×1.48 cm (dimensions refer to longitudinal diameter×transverse diameter×thickness), and it is the largest-seeded among the ginkgoes of Dongting Mountain.
2. Xiao Foshou: The seed is oblong, with the kernel averaging 2.6 grams and measuring 1.62×2.62×1.32 cm. Produced in Dongting Mountain, Suzhou, Jiangsu.
3. Yawei Yixing: The kernel is flat and pointed at the tip, shaped like a duck's tail, mostly seed-grown. Produced in Dongting Dongshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu.
⟦NL>4. Fozhi: The seed is obovate-oblong, with the kernel averaging 3 grams and measuring 1.7×2.7×1.3 cm; the shell is thin, the kernel plump, the sap abundant, and the yield high; each seed-bearing branch can bear anywhere from 1 to 20 seeds, with 2 to 4 generally considered best. Produced in Taixing, Jiangsu.
5. Luanguo Foshou: The seed is egg-shaped, slightly smaller at the tip and gradually widening below the middle; the kernel is large and plump-round, elliptical or rhombic, with both ends slightly pointed. Produced in Madian, Zhuji, Zhejiang.
6. Yuandi Foshou: The seed is oblong, with both ends rounded and blunt; the kernel is long-elliptical, slightly pointed at the tip and rounded and blunt at the base, extremely plump. Produced in Xiadu, Zhuji, Zhejiang.
7. Ganlan Foshou: The seed is long-obovate, slightly rounded and blunt at the tip, widest at the middle and upper part, narrowing at the lower part; the kernel is narrowly long-elliptical, rounded at the tip, pointed at the apex and extremely narrow at the base. Produced in Xing'an, Guangxi.
8. Wuxin Yixing: The seed is flat-round, rounded and blunt and plump at the tip, flat and slightly concave at the base; the kernel is broad-ovate and flat-round, with inconspicuous ridges, measuring 2.1×2×1.6 cm, with richly developed endosperm but no embryo, and no bitter taste. Produced in Dongting Mountain, Suzhou, Jiangsu.
9. Da Meihe: The seed is large, nearly round, rounded and blunt at the tip and slightly wide at the base; the kernel is round and slightly flat, rounded and blunt or slightly pointed at the tip, gradually narrowing at the base. Produced in Zhuji, Zhejiang.
10. Tongzi Guo: The seed is large, flat-round, rounded and blunt at the tip and wide at the base; the kernel is nearly round, wide and bluntly rounded with no point at the tip, relatively wide at the base, with prominent ridges on both sides and a fishtail shape at the bottom. Produced in Xing'an, Guangxi.
11. Mianhua Guo: The seed is elliptical, bluntly rounded at the tip, with a small protruding apex at the top, near which there are groove lines in the shape of the character “one” or “ten”; the base of the seed is relatively wide, often bearing twin seeds; the kernel is flat-elliptical, slightly narrow, rounded and wide and pointed at the tip, with prominent ridges on both sides, sharp edges, a narrower lower part, and 1 or 2 small protrusions at the bottom. Produced in Xing'an, Guangxi.
12. Da Maling: The seed is oblong, rounded and blunt at the tip with a flat, wide base and a pointed protrusion at the tip; the kernel is elliptical, large and plump, bluntly pointed at the tip and wide and rounded at the base, with ridges above the middle and inconspicuous wings.