Ginkgo biloba Mariken

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken' allows the mythical Forty Coin Tree to enter all gardens, even the smallest ones, and even on our terraces in a large pot. This grafted variety on a stem has the appearance of a prehistoric fern. it bears a rounded and tight crown, with a weeping habit, carried at the top of a sturdy trunk. Its foliage is slightly smaller and more crinkled than that of the species, but its pretty leaves also turn golden in autumn. This visually striking small tree will thrive in the sun, in any good garden soil that is not too dry, without requiring much maintenance.

Ginkgo biloba, also sometimes called 'Maidenhair Tree' due to the shape of its leaves and the pattern of its veins resembling capillaries, is a primitive tree from the Ginkgoaceae family, which is now practically extinct. This living fossil, which does not bear flowers, normally reaches up to 24 m (78.8 ft) in height, showing an upright habit in its youth and becoming more spreading with age, measuring up to 9 m (29.5 ft) in diameter. This majestic tree, native to China, has disappeared in its natural habitat, owing its survival only to the admiration and dedication of gardeners who continue to plant it in beautiful parks.

'Mariken' is a horticultural variety introduced in the Netherlands by P. Vergeldt in 1995. It is actually a branch taken from a 'witch's broom', a cluster of abnormal branches and twigs (in this case, dwarf ones) found on a park tree, which was grafted into a slit on a more or less short stem of the Gingko biloba type. The tree will not exceed 80 cm to 1 m (2.6 ft to 3.3 ft) in all directions at 10 years, about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) after many years. Its branches are compact, and its young shoots are thick. Its light green deciduous leaves, rounded and cone-shaped, take on beautiful bluish reflections in summer, then an intense golden yellow colour at the end of the season before falling. They resemble a fan in their pattern and measure from 4 cm to 6 cm (1.6 in to 2.4 in) wide, smaller than those of the type. This beautiful tree has a spreading root system and develops quite slowly during the first 10-12 years of its life, a little faster afterwards.

Ginkgo 'Mariken' can be planted in a container near an entrance, on a terrace, or as a solitary specimen on a lawn, where it will become a focal point for much of the year. Its graphic design blends particularly well in Japanese, exotic or contemporary settings. It can also be grown with small Japanese maples, oakleaf hydrangea, and purple barberry. It is also a beautiful subject for an urban garden or a rooftop terrace.

Interestingly, despite its deciduous leaves, Ginkgo biloba is a conifer from a botanical point of view. It is a very hardy shrub. It is also very resistant. It was one of the few to survive the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945!

It is the oldest tree species found on Earth: dating back 300 million years, it has survived all the cataclysms that the Earth has experienced. This tree has been living for thousands of years in the Tianmushan Mountains in southeastern China. It was reintroduced to Europe in the 18th century. The Ginkgo is exceptionally long-lived and is also a medicinal plant, with its foliage used to reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.