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| The Gingko |
| March 23, 2003. |
 Gingko
(sometimes spelled ginko or ginkgo) is the generic name
botanists have given to a tree that has acquired world
fame, mainly in the realm of alternative medicine.
However, beyond the benefits
this tree may offer to human health, the relevant fact
about this group is that they are considered to be “living
fossils”.
The Ginko family was far-spread
and dominant in prehistoric times. It grew in the areas
we know today as Alaska, Greenland and England (we must
remember that in those times, the three regions formed
part of the super-continent called Laurasia), and its
greatest moment was during the Trassic and Jurassic
times (between 248 and 206 million years ago), a time
made famous because that is when dinosaurs dominated
the face of the earth.
During the ice age that began some
1.6 million years ago, the family was exterminated by
the changing climate. Nevertheless, in 1914, one specimen
belonging to that family, the Ginko biloba, was found
growing in the gardens of a Chinese temple in the province
of Chekiang. Although this is a tree grouped within
the conifer group, it is much more ancient than them.
For some time, it was believed that
the Ginko survived extinction thanks to the care given
to it by the monks in the Chinese temples. But that
is not entirely accurate because in recent years, Ginko
trees have been found growing wild in western regions
of China.
Despite that, Buddhist monks consider
the Ginko a sacred tree and they continue to cultivate
it in their gardens as a symbol that links the ancient
with the modern.
The Ginkgo can reach anywhere between
12 and 37 meters (36’ - 110’) in height.
The leaf is fan-shaped and the main branches are covered
by other dwarf ones, known as spur shoots, that grow
very slowly and where leaves grow every year. Gingko
trees are dioecious, meaning that male and female cones
are found on separate plants, their sexes are separate.
Male trees produce the pollen that is carried by the
wind, while female ones form the seeds, surrounded or
enveloped by a fleshy tissue that emits a foul smell.
That is why the Ginkgo preferred as ornamental tree
is the male specimen. The Ginkgo seed or nut is a delicacy
in both China and Japan where it is eaten roasted.
The Ginkgo is often planted in parks
and gardens as an ornamental tree. It is also planted
along the roads of some towns where it grows despite
the pollution, lack of light and other adverse conditions
proper to the urban medium. This generalized use has
led to the creation of some cultivated varieties.
We know that the first Ginko plant
to reach American soil was brought over from England
in 1784 by William Hamilton who planted it in the treed
section of a cemetery in Philadelphia.
Other reasons for the Ginko’s
popularity as an ornamental city tree is the resistance
of its leaves to insects, diseases and fungi.
Ginko leaves are not only resistant
to the attack of insects or diseases. In China and Japan,
it is believed that they can repel fire as well, an
idea that was strengthened by a strange event.
During the fire that destroyed a
great part of the city of Tokyo in 1923, a Buddhist
temple surrounded by Ginko trees was incredibly spared.
The explanation proposed for this phenomenon was that
the leaves of this plant emit a repellent blend that
protects them from fire.
But as we mentioned at the beginning,
the Ginko is also known for its medicinal properties
which have been used ever since ancient times. For example,
Ginko extract has been used for over 5,000 years in
China and Japan as an infallible remedy in the treatment
of asthma and severe allergic inflammations.
Today it is used as a vaso-dilator
(especially in memory disorders caused by age when the
brain does not receive an adequate supply of oxygenated
blood).
Some other medicinal considerations
related to Ginko are linked to a possible solution to
kidney problems, toxic shocks and rejection of transplanted
organs.
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