Ginkgo biloba Menhir

Ginkgo biloba 'Menhir' is a variety of maidenhair tree that stands out for its naturally narrow habit. This beautiful tree spontaneously forms a 15 m (49 ft 2 in) tall column that does not go unnoticed in the garden, especially under its autumn foliage of resplendent yellow. This selected blend, which never bears fruit, also has more finely cut leaves than those of the species. In winter, this wonderful conifer reveals a perfect framework, covered with grey and fissured bark. Less cumbersome than its venerable ancestor, this Ginkgo is more suitable for the size of our modern gardens. It deserves a prominent place, installed as a solitary subject on a short grass meadow.

Ginkgo biloba, also sometimes called the Living Fossil Tree or Maidenhair Tree, in reference to the shape of its leaves and the pattern of its veins resembling hairs, is a very ancient deciduous tree of the Ginkgoales family, which is now practically extinct. This living fossil, which does not bear flowers but rather ovules, normally reaches up to 24 m (78 ft 8 in) in height, displaying an upright habit in its youth and then becoming more spreading with age, measuring up to 9 m (29 ft 6 in) in diameter. This majestic tree, native to China, has now (and probably for a long time) disappeared in its natural environment, owing its survival only to the admiration and respect it has inspired in the human species for many generations, which continues to plant and multiply it in its most beautiful parks.

'Menhir' is a horticultural variety derived from Ginkgo biloba, recently obtained in the Netherlands. It is distinguished by a very narrow and columnar habit, with branches naturally arching towards the trunk, and more finely cut leaves. The tree will reach about 8 m (26 ft 2 in) in height and 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in width at the age of 10 years, and after many years can reach up to 15 m (49 ft 2 in) in height. Its flat, deciduous leaves are semi-round and divided into two finely palmate lobes. They have a characteristic fan shape and measure from 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) in width. They are inserted on the branches in small groups of three or four. Their colour, light green in spring, takes beautiful bluish hues in summer, before turning golden-yellow at the end of the season. They fall in November. This beautiful tree has a spreading root system and develops quite vigorously from a young age.

Ginkgo biloba 'Menhir' should be planted as a solitary specimen on a short grass meadow, where its silhouette of a strange natural megalith will become the focal point of the garden. It can also be combined with Persian Parrotia, with its flamboyant autumn foliage, or with Japanese Maples, Oakleaf Hydrangea, or Caramel Tree, etc. It is also a good tree for aligning in an urban garden or a large avenue.

Strangely, and 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 have survived the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945!

It is the oldest tree species found on Earth, dating back 300 million years, surviving all the cataclysms that the Earth has experienced. This Living Fossil Tree has been living for thousands of years in the Tianmushan Mountains in southeast China. It was reintroduced to Europe in the 18th century. With exceptional longevity, Ginkgo is also a medicinal plant whose foliage is used to reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.