Ginkgo biloba Baldii - Maidenhair tree

Ginkgo biloba 'Baldi' is a variety of Dwarf Maidenhair Tree. Its silhouette is more like a bush than a tree, with an open and spreading aspect, and a spread similar to its height. Its foliage is faithful to the original species with two lobes forming a small fan, easy to recognize. The beautiful bright green foliage turns a superb golden yellow in autumn, which gives it its name of Dwarf Maidenhair Tree. Plant it in the sun, in any good garden soil that is not too dry, or even in a pot to enhance a terrace or balcony.

Ginkgo biloba is the only living member of the Ginkgoaceae family, with the other representatives known only as fossils. It is a plant that does not produce flowers and has naked seeds. It is classified as a Gymnosperm, alongside the large group of conifers.
This large tree is dioecious, with some trees being female and others male. The Ginkgo can live for several thousand years and forms magnificent specimens that can exceed 30 m high. Originally from China, it has now (and probably for a long time) disappeared from its natural habitat and now only survives because it was admired by humans for many generations and has been propagated and planted in our most beautiful parks.
Ginkgo biloba 'Baldii' is a relatively recent horticultural variety, originating from Germany. The Balke nurseries (in Leipzig, Saxony) selected this compact form from a "witches' broom". This is a proliferation of branches caused by a fungus, bacterium, or other organism, which forms a tuft on the branches of certain trees, such as Pines for example. The Dittersdorf company was responsible for bringing it to the market in 2009, under the name Baldii, "Bal" for Balke and "di" for Dittersdorf.
It is a compact variety with a distinctly shrubby habit, very different from the original species. It is slow-growing, about 10 cm per year, it will take about ten years to reach 1 m in all directions, and its size at maturity will not exceed 2 m. This well-branched plant produces numerous shoots that rise at an angle of approximately 45° to the vertical, giving it an open, relatively spreading silhouette, almost as wide as it is tall. The leaves are slightly smaller than those of the botanical species, and have the same characteristic shape. The V-shaped base, carried by a fairly long petiole, widens into a fan, deeply notched into 2 lobes. These leaves are unique in the plant kingdom with their easily recognizable shape and are surprisingly veined in the direction of their length. Botanically close to conifers, they could be fused needles. The leaves are initially slightly bluish-green and turn to a deeper and rather matte green during the growing season. In autumn, the foliage offers a magnificent spectacle by taking on a golden yellow colour, one of the most beautiful there is. After the leaves have fallen, the ground remains strewn with gold for some time.
Being a male cultivar, 'Baldii' produces inflorescences in the form of pendant cylindrical catkins, about 4 or 5 cm long, with a yellowish-green colour and no real ornamental interest. It will therefore not produce fruits.
It grows in most soils, not too dry or too wet, in full sun or under light shade. It is very resistant to frost and atmospheric pollution, it is also not susceptible to diseases or insects, against which it can deploy effective defences (toxic molecules and other strategies).

Ginkgo 'Baldii' can be planted in a container near an entrance, on the terrace, or as a standalone specimen on a lawn, where it will become a focal point for much of the year. Its design integrates particularly well into Japanese, exotic, or contemporary settings. In a small garden, it can be planted in a bed of other small plants to create a pleasing visual effect. Pair it with compact shrubs with decorative foliage, such as Berberis thunbergii Admiration, whose leaves change colour throughout the seasons. You can also create a beautiful Japanese scene by combining it with Acer palmatum Bi Hoo, an ornamental Japanese Maple which is stunning in all seasons, thanks to its beautiful changing palmate foliage and its branches and stems adorned with beautiful yellow bark.

Ginkgo is the oldest species of tree found on Earth: dating back 300 million years, it has survived all the cataclysms that the Earth has experienced (a famous specimen also survived in Hiroshima, recovering from the effects of the bomb dropped 1 km away...). This tree with a thousand leaves has been living for thousands of years in the Tianmushan Mountains in southeastern China. It was introduced to Europe in the 18th century. With exceptional longevity, the Ginkgo is also a medicinal plant, with its foliage used to reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.