Many have heard about an unusual tree - ginkgo biloba. Do you know what secrets it hides? Let's open them up a little ...

Secret 1

Ginkgo biloba is a deciduous gymnosperm dioecious tree. There are separate female and male specimens; female - squat, with a dense spreading crown, wider and more rounded; men are more slender, with a pyramidal crown. There are decorative forms of ginkgo with weeping, pyramidal and spreading crown.

Trees reach a height of 30 m, and their crown width can reach 8 m; the older the plant, the more spreading it becomes. The gray bark is covered with deep cracks. The leaves are fan-shaped, leathery, with a more or less deep median v-shaped notch, cut into two symmetrical halves, which served as the specific name of the plant (from Latin biloba means bilobed). The leaves sit on long petioles, and their size reaches 6-8 cm.

Interesting feature ginkgo leaves - the so-called dichotomous venation: their veins repeatedly bifurcate in succession. This type of venation is also called forked; it was characteristic of the most ancient deciduous plants.

Ginkgo blooms from April to June. Numerous male flowers (microstrobilae) are collected in elongated inflorescences in the form of earrings. Seeds 2-3 cm in diameter resemble cherry plum, with an unpleasantly smelling resinous yellowish-orange shell.

Secret 2

Translated from Japanese ginkgo means silver apricot or silver fruit... This was the name of the edible seeds of this tree sold in Japanese shops. For a long time, the revered and sacred ginkgo trees grow near the ancient temples of Japan, China, Korea.

Secret 3

None of the modern gymnosperms have leaves that look like ginkgo leaves. In the peculiar form of his sheet, Goethe saw a symbol of the unity of loving hearts.

Secret 4

The genus Ginkgo is monotypic, that is, it is represented by only one species - G. biloba, and this is the only representative of the Ginkgoopsida class. The Latin name for this unusual tree was given by Karl Linnaeus.

Secret 5

The mountain forests of Southeast China are considered the birthplace of ginkgo. About 1730 ginkgo was introduced to Western Europe, and 50 years later, in 1780 - to North America. Gingko entered the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in 1818.

Secret 6

Christian Christianovich Steven, the first director of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, having returned from an expedition to the countries of Western Europe, brought two dozen seedlings of this tree from Germany.

Currently, the oldest female specimen of ginkgo in Ukraine grows in the Lower Park of the Arboretum of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. At the age of 194, he reaches a height of 15 m; the diameter of its crown is 17x15 m. The circumference of the trunk at the level of 1.3 m is 245 cm; the tree blooms and bears fruit regularly.

Secret 7

Ginkgo is a fast-growing, light-loving and thermophilic breed that can withstand short-term temperature drops down to -25-30 ° C. These trees have a well-developed root system, they are not demanding on soils, but they grow better on medium-textured, fertile, well-drained trees.

Plants are wind-resistant, durable: in China, Japan, Korea, there are many ginkgo trees that are more than 1000 years old. Resistant to pests and diseases. Ginkgo tolerates pruning well, but usually only sanitary pruning is used while maintaining the natural shape of the tree crown. Planting trees is carried out in spring or autumn.

Secret 8

Currently, ginkgo grows in almost all botanical gardens in Europe and North America; it is cultivated in many countries as an ornamental and medicinal tree. In Japan, ginkgo is one of the fruit trees.

Ginkgo is used in solitary, group, alley plantings. These trees are picturesque and attractive from early spring to late autumn. The tree is especially impressive in autumn, when its leaves acquire a lemon-yellow color; they remain on the tree for a long time, and then fall off overnight. The Japanese consider the caught ginkgo leaf to be a good omen.

Secret 10

Ginkgo can be grown from seeds. Freshly fallen in autumn (September-November) "fruits" must lie in a warm room in order for them to fully ripen. And only then they are cleaned of the outer soft smelly shell, and again they lie until the end of November, either in a saucer of water or laid out on paper.

Peeling fruits without gloves gives a stunning effect of "smooth skin" of the hands. Then the seeds are laid for stratification in wet moss or, pouring a little water on the bottom of the container (periodically shaking and washing everything), placed in the lower compartment refrigerating chamber at a temperature of + 4 ° С for a period from 3 weeks to 2 months.

At the end of January, you can sow them in separate cups with a volume of 0.5 to 1 liter in a bright, warm room at a temperature of at least + 20 ° C. Seeds germinate from 3 weeks to 1.5 months; can germinate even after a year. When the threat of return is over spring frosts, seedlings are planted in a permanent place in the garden, shading from a bright sunlight and winds. In the first year of planting, they are covered for the winter with dry leaves or spruce branches.

Ginkgo biloba(two-lobed) appeared in the Mesozoic era, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. His homeland is China. But even there, ginkgo does not grow everywhere. These trees are almost absent in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (in the northwest, not far from Kazakhstan), where there is a sharply continental dry climate. Ginkgo adults can be seen not only in the countries of the East. Unfortunately, there are none in the Moscow region. Attempts by amateurs to grow this legendary tree on their site contribute to the development of zoned varieties of ginkgo and attract the attention of professionals.

Is ginkgo coniferous?

Ginkgo is often mistakenly referred to as coniferous. With the caveat that its needles were reduced into leaves, which fall off in autumn. This plant has in common with conifers only that both conifers and ginkgo belong to gymnosperms. This is where their relationship ends. Ginkgo is a member of the family Ginkgo (Ginkgoaceae), in which there is only one genus - Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba), i.e. "Ginkgo biloba". This tree has real leaves. They are partially separated by a notch so that the surface of most of the leaves has two lobes. In China, very old trees have survived, which are more than two thousand years old! It is believed that ginkgo came to Japan from China not without human help. Ginkgo, or "silver apricot", has fruits that resemble apricots.

The smell of the pulp of the shells is sickening. In autumn, Chinese families go to parks to collect these fruits, the core of which is then used as medicine or in cooking.

They immediately separate the kernels in place, leaving heaps of slippery shells on the ground.

There are no zoned ginkgoes yet

Ginko has not yet been zoned. The commercial seedlings originated from the seeds of trees growing in warmer or milder climates. Often sellers are cunning, convincing buyers of the winter hardiness of this plant. On the Internet, you can find reports on successful cultivation ginkgo biloba on plots in the Moscow region. But no one specifies the further fate of not seedlings, but adult trees.

Everyone has the same question: “How long can ginkgo live in open ground in outskirts of Moscow?" The city parks still do not have these luxurious trees, the crown of which glows with amber in autumn. The few small trees available in Moscow are far from ideal. Sooner or later, all young ginkgo, wintering without shelter, freeze or die a lot. Freezing often occurs at the level of the snow cover. Over the summer, ginkgoes can recover and even increase in growth. Warming with spruce branches, non-woven material or in other ways helps as long as the tree is small. Shelter tall tree with a luxurious crown is impossible. Where to get such a huge dome? I came to the conclusion that if the goal is not to systematically work on the zoning of ginkgo biloba, then it is not worth torturing him. This plant is not yet adapted for wintering in the open field in our conditions. The risk of losing it from freezing and damping is too high. The frosty winters that ginkgo sometimes endure are not a rule, but a coincidence of favorable factors. Which, alas, are not always repeated.

I have tried unsuccessfully to train ginkgo to live outdoors. I grew the seedlings myself from fruits freshly picked in China. Some of the seedlings were left at home for the winter. They spent the winter in a basement with a small window or on a loggia with a glazed wall. For the summer, pots of ginkgo were put out on the street. This option, as time has shown, was the most successful. After several years of "torment", soil ginkgoes had to be transplanted into pots.

Now all my ginkgoes grow in pots and no longer hibernate outdoors.

What's more real?

Ginkgo, "by definition", must be a tall tree, even if not thirty meters. It is a dioecious plant. Female trees bear fruit after 20 to 30 years. In our climate in the open field, it is more realistic to grow ginkgo biloba in bush form. This is facilitated by the active formation of root shoots. Another option is a low-rise ginkgo garden bonsai. But it will have to be not only insulated for the winter, but also protected from rodents. It is safer to keep trees in containers. I am convinced that for the conditions of the Moscow region the most a good option is the cultivation of ginkgo not in the open field, but in containers suitable for this, which are transferred to the premises for the winter. Of course, attempts to regionalize ginkgo biloba cannot be stopped. It is remarkable that not only professionals are involved in this business, but also many amateurs who understand the full degree of risk.

Ginkgo bonsai

Ginkgo makes amazing bonsai.

Clever pruning transforms ginkgo. Beijing Botanical Garden

A low-growing tree can live for many years even in a small container. The dwarf form attracts with the possibility of creating the most unexpected options. In China, I have seen many ginkgo bonsai. The most incredible. There were very old hollow trees that held onto the bark and a thin layer of wood. Some dwarf trees had trunks fused with stones. But this is already "aerobatics".

Bonsai ginkgo. Botanical Garden, Beijing

We often create bonsai from ginkgo in an accelerated way. Some of them look quite natural.

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Name: translated from Japanese - "silver apricot", or "silver fruit". This is the name of the edible fruits of this wonderful relict plant from Western China. This is what Charles Darwin called Ginkgo "Living Fossil". Indeed, it is difficult to come up with a more precise definition. Ginkgo is one of the few ancient woody plants that are still preserved on earth.

Ginkgo in autumn
Photo by Andrey Sedov

From the history: in the Ginkgo culture it has been known since the 11th century. In China and Japan, it was planted near sacred temples. Now in the Land of the Rising Sun, ginkgo is used as fruit trees. By the way, the name of the plant in translation from Japanese means "silver apricot". A magnificent specimen of ginkgo grows in the Tokyo Botanical Gardens. In front of him is a marble plaque, on which is carved the name of the botanist Hiraze, who has devoted most of his life to the study of this plant. There is a tree in Nagasaki that is more than 1200 years old. In China, a gingko with a height of 45 m was found in natural growth conditions. It is believed that it is approaching the 2000-year mark. Legends say that in very ancient times in northern China, ginkgo seeds were taken as a tribute.

European scientists discovered a living gingko tree in 1690 (previously they only saw plant prints on stones). For the first time, gingko appeared in the botanical garden of Utrecht (Holland), but the exact date of this event has not been established. In 1754 it came to England. There, a tree has survived to this day, with the help of which the features of fertilization of ginkgo were discovered and studied. The English call gingko "the tree of girl's hair". Its leaves remind them of the lobules of leaves of one of the most graceful ferns, known as "Venus's hair" (maidenhair). The French christened the ginkgo "a forty ecus tree." Such strange name it received in 1780 from the Parisian botanist-amateur Petigny. Tom managed to buy a pot of five small ginkgo trees from one of the English gardeners for 25 guineas, that is, 40 crowns each. These trees became the progenitors of almost all the ginkgoes now growing in France.

Photo of Natalia Nesterova

The Germans did not remain indifferent to the Ginkgo. The great Goethe dedicated a poem to him: This leaf was from the east
Modestly brought into my garden,
And for the seeing eye
He reveals the secret meaning. The peculiar shape of the gingko leaves was presented to the poet as a symbol of friendship.

Prehistoric ginkgo, ancestors modern plants, existed on earth before the Rocky Mountains were formed, but living plants of ginkgo biloba did not reach America until 1784. The oldest specimen grows there now in the Woodland Cemetery in Philadelphia. This veteran tree is under protection and is being watched by specialists.

Today, ginkgo can be found in parks in Western Europe and on the streets of North American cities. In culture, it feels quite well, although it has never been found in a wild state in these places (not counting, of course, the Mesozoic era).

Description: this is one of the most primitive gymnosperms of modern flora, in the singular, representing both genus and family.

Ginkgo biloba- G. biloba L. According to experts, ginkgo is a relic of Japanese-Chinese origin. It is believed that it is home to the mountain forests of Northeast China. It grows there in a warm and humid climate. Once there were so many trees that the oldest of them were chopped down for firewood. At present, there is no naturally formed ginkgo grove on Mount Memusha in China. The diameter of the trees growing there reaches 1.5-2 m. Deciduous, dioecious tree, reaching 30-45 m in height, with a slender brown-gray trunk. The crown of young plants is broad-pyramidal, with a whorled arrangement of the main branches extending from the trunk almost at right angles; with age, its top becomes dull and the crown expands. As a rule, male plants are slender, with a pyramidal crown, while female plants are wider and more rounded. None of the modern gymnosperms have such ornamental leaves as the ginkgo. They are fan-shaped, often dissected into two deep lobes (this is reflected in the specific name), leathery, naked, slightly corrugated along the edge, bluish-green, on long petioles. Leaves are arranged singly or in bunches on shortened shoots. In autumn, they are painted in beautiful golden yellow tones, giving the tree an unforgettable look. Flowers in small green-yellow inflorescences. The seed is covered with a fleshy cover (like a plum), a pungent astringent taste and an unpleasant odor. It is decorative with a light trunk, an original whorled crown, with bluish greenery of amazing leaves, very beautiful in autumn colors. In areas favorable for its development, it can be used to create a kind of decorative groups against the background of conifers, evergreens, in alley and ordinary plantings, singly on lawns. In culture, since 1727. In GBS since 1946, 4 samples (12 copies) were obtained by 3-year-old seedlings from Potsdam (Germany), seeds from Pyatigorsk, Sukhumi, Korea. Tree, at 30 years old, height 4.15 m, trunk diameter 4.0-9.0 cm. Vegetation from 20.IV ± 6 to 15.X ± 5, 179 ± 5 days. It grows slowly, the annual growth is 1-2 cm, rarely 4 cm. Winter hardiness without shelter is low, with average shelter. Low winter hardiness. In Moscow, it hibernates at a young age only with shelter. 36% of summer cuttings are rooted without treatment, with treatment with 0.01% IMC solution for 16 hours - up to 100%. In the landscaping of Moscow is absent. In green building, it is highly valued for its original shape, beautiful crown, and has technical and nutritional value. It can be grown in areas with warm and humid climates. Testing in the botanical garden of St. Petersburg began at the end of the 19th century. and continued in the middle of the XX century. (1891-1898, 1940-1941, 1947-2005). In 1940, a greenhouse plant was planted in open ground and immediately fell under an abnormally harsh winter. In 1947, seeds were obtained from Tbilisi and, after germination, were planted in a nursery (now site No. 133), where 2 specimens have survived to this day. In 1960, one copy from I.V. Grushvitsky from the greenhouse was planted in the park at uch. 103 near the Palm Greenhouse, where it still grows. Thus, ginkgo in the open field of the Garden has been available for 57 years. Has a number of decorative forms: pyramidal(f. fastigiata) - with a columnar or pyramidal crown; weeping(f. pendula) - with a weeping crown shape; golden(f. aurea) - with a light golden color of the leaves; variegated(f. variegata) - leaves with golden stripes. "Laciniata"... The tree is fast-growing, kegle-shaped. Leaves are very large, 20-30 cm wide with numerous notches; veins are embossed, the edge is curly and cut (- C. biloba macrophylla, Salisburia adiantifolia, Masrophilla laciniata). Originated before 1850 as a seedling near Rainier, Avignon, France. "St. Сloud "... A tree with a straight trunk, side branches rarely spaced from each other, very long, densely covered with small shortened shoots along its entire length. Albert Kahn Garden, Clu-sur-Seine near Paris. "Tremonia"... The form is straight, columnar, 12 m high and 80 cm wide. The autumn color is beautiful. In 1970 marketed from the Botanical Gardens of Dortmund. Original tree, about 1930 emerged from a seedling. Photo left Svetlana Popova Photo right Andrey Sedov

Location: photophilous, wind-resistant, frost-hardy enough (tolerates a drop in temperature to -30 ° C.). Young plants should be protected from the burning rays of the sun by shading them with shields or a light cloth. Mature plants are best planted in well-lit areas. The plant is successfully cultivated in the temperate zone - where the climate is mild enough. In the open field, ginkgo grows in Kaliningrad (regional), Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Astrakhan. It is found in the Baltics, in Moldova, in the botanical gardens of Central Asia. The plant can be found in the parks of the Crimea (in Yalta since 1818), the Caucasus, Ukraine (in the Krasnokutsk park since 1911). They also tested it in Belarus.

Ginkgo has been growing in the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 1946. The three-year-old seedlings were brought from Germany. At the age of 30, the plants had a height of slightly more than 4 m.The diameter of the trunk at the root collar was 9 cm, at a height of 1.3 m - 4 cm.Gingko does not bloom, grows slowly: an annual growth of 2 cm, in some years - up to 4 cm. during the winter, the plant requires an obligatory shelter.

The soil: undemanding. For the successful growth of ginkgo, constantly moist soil is needed, but its mechanical composition is not so important.

Photo of Sergey Ivanov

Reproduction: no tree reproduces like the ginkgo. The breeding method brings it closer to ferns and others. spore plants, in which fertilization is carried out with the help of floating male germ cells. In all other trees, male reproductive cells cannot move independently. In this regard, ginkgo is an interesting object for studying the evolution of plants. Freshly harvested ginkgo seeds have a high germination rate, but this is quickly lost due to the fact that their endosperm contains fatty acids. The weight of a thousand seeds is equal to 200 g. After cleaning the seed from the fleshy cover, only 25% of the original weight remains. 10-15 g of seeds are sown per running meter, the seeding depth is 3-5 cm. The seeds are cleaned in salt water. Sowing is best immediately after processing. Seeds obtained from Tashkent and stratified at 5 - 7 ° C for 1.5 months gave amicable shoots 25 days after sowing. Ground germination rate of 91%.

Ginkgo is a fast-growing tree species, has a strong shoot-educational ability, gives growth from stumps and roots. The tree does not tolerate a transplant, 2-3 years after that it does not grow. Landscapers like ginkgo, but females are not suitable for decorative purposes, because during ripening, the fruits smell unpleasant, and when falling off, they interfere with pedestrians and transport. Usually males are used. In nurseries, a male kidney is inoculated on a young seedling. In the first year, seedlings are 12-15 cm high. Ginkgo is easily propagated by seeds, stem and root cuttings.

Cuttings should be taken in late June - early July, and preference should be given not to long (by that time still badly lignified), but to short shoots, which are cut into cuttings with a "heel" or with part of last year's wood. Half the leaves are removed from them and placed in a solution of root formation stimulants for several hours. Then they are planted in a soil film greenhouse, where coarse sand mixed with high-moor peat, perlite or similar loose air-permeable materials are used as a substrate. Cuttings are regularly sprayed, once a week adding Epina solution to the sprayer. With a successful outcome, by autumn the plants will give, if not roots, then at least callus. For the winter, cuttings are covered with spruce branches. In the spring, they start to grow rather quickly, and they need to be planted before this moment - in April. Cuttings with only one callus develop successfully - in the second year, almost all of them give roots. But plants from cuttings develop much more slowly than seed plants, at least in the first 1-3 years.

Used materials from the article by M. Alexandrova "Living fossil" // "In the world of plants" No. 1, 2000

Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest trees, whose medicinal properties have been used by people since ancient times. In China, the leaves of ginkgo biloba were already used for treatment 3000 years ago.

Now this tree is grown in many countries for use in the production of medicines. Medicines from this plant are especially popular in Chinese medicine.

Benefits of using ginkgo biloba

The ginkgo biloba plant, thanks to its unique properties, received the name "tree of youth" among experts. The powerful antioxidant properties of the leaves of this tree slow down the natural aging process. Scientists call the main cause of aging damage by free radicals, cells of the body. These destructive inclusions (radicals) are formed as a result of metabolic processes and external negative impact(smoking, drinking alcohol, polluted environment). Experts believe that more than 60 known diseases arise from causes caused by the negative effects of free radicals. These diseases include cancer, Alzheimer's, Raynaud's, atherosclerosis, and arthritis. Antioxidants fight the very cause of the disease by destroying free radicals.

In addition, Ginkgo biloba significantly increases the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels in the brain, promotes vasodilation, elimination of blood clots, and lowers blood viscosity. Thanks to the plant's properties to restore the circulatory system, ginkgo biloba normalizes the functions of any organ or tissue.

Using ginkgo biloba can get rid of dizziness and tinnitus, persistent headaches and senile memory loss. Ginkgo biloba plant preparations counteract the development of Parkinson's, Raynaud's, Alzheimer's and depression, eliminating anxiety and other symptoms associated with the disorder. mental activity.

Ways to use ginkgo biloba

In the course of the study, scientists found that the result of taking drugs with ginkgo biloba is felt on the 7-10th day of use, and tangible improvements from the effects of drugs are observed after a month of treatment.

To achieve effective and lasting results, long-term treatment is necessary, for a period of three months or more. The active substances of the plant do not accumulate in the body and do not cause harm.

Ginkgo biloba is most often recommended in the form of an infusion. To prepare it, place a tablespoon of dried plant leaves in a thermos and pour a glass of boiling water. The medicinal broth should be infused for 1-2 hours. The ready-made infusion is taken before meals, one third of a glass 3 times a day. Apply in courses of 30 days, with a break of 14 days. In the course of treatment, it is best to carry out 3 - 4 courses per year.

Ginkgo biloba can also be used as a tincture. To prepare the tincture, pour 50 g of dry ginkgo biloba leaves with a bottle of high-quality expensive vodka, and insist in a dark place for at least two weeks, shaking occasionally. After that, strain and take 3 times a day, 30 minutes before meals, 20 drops. The course of treatment is 30 days. In a year - 3-4 courses with breaks between courses for 14 days.

In some cases, the use of ginkgo biloba in the form of a powder from the dry leaves of the plant is indicated. This powder is chewed half an hour before breakfast (coffee spoon) and washed down with a glass of warm water. One dose per day is enough. The course of treatment is 30 days. In a year - 3-4 courses with breaks between courses for 14 days.

The beneficial effects of ginkgo biloba, if taken regularly, persist for a long time.

The use of Ginkgo Biloba for the treatment of certain diseases:

Treatment of age-related impotence, improving potency at any age, maintaining elderly people during periods of emotional stress. Drink before meals adding 15 drops of tincture to half a glass of water 2 times a day. Treatment period - 6 months;

In the course of treatment of atherosclerosis and hypertension, nervous tension, numbness of the extremities, aches, depression. Take as a dry matter, 1 time per day, at least half an hour before meals;

To slow down aging and strengthen the immune system. It is used in the form of a powder as described above. Duration - 4 - 5 months courses - a month of admission, a month off;

With allergies, with elevated level cholesterol. Drink an infusion of 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day half an hour before meals;

To strengthen blood vessels and improve brain function, as well as get rid of excess fluid and carbohydrates. The following preparation is prepared for use: crushed dried medicinal leaves (two handfuls) are poured with hot alcohol and kept in a tightly closed container in a dark place, with a stable cool temperature, from 8 to 10 days. After the expiration date, the drug must be filtered and stored in a well-sealed dark glass container. Such a drug should be drunk, adding 1 teaspoon to tea 2 times a day.

Ginkgo biloba is a unique drug for improving health and slowing down the aging of the body, time-tested. Good health to you!

princessjournal.ru

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba (tanakan, maiden braids, dinosaur tree) is a relict plant, witness to the existence of dinosaurs on Earth, which is more than two hundred million years old. Ginkgo biloba grows up to forty-five meters in height, its girth is almost two meters. The crown of the giant tree is covered with bright green two-lobed leaves that resemble a fan.

Tanakan is a bisexual plant. It reproduces with the help of the wind. Pollen from the stamens of male trees is carried by the current of air to female trees containing ovules. The homeland of ginkgo biloba is Eastern China, but its modern distribution area has expanded. The dinosaur tree is native to East Asia and Japan, Germany and the Netherlands, Great Britain and Western Europe. Tanakan leaves have many healing properties, therefore they are actively used to treat huge amount diseases and folk, and official medicine.

Procurement and storage

Medicines are made only from the leaves of the plant. They are prepared, observing a number of rules:

1. Make sure you are picking tanakana leaves. The ingestion of other plants in the medicinal collection is fraught with poisoning and unpleasant consequences.
2. Tear off purely green foliage without breaking its integrity.
3. Harvest leaves in areas of mass growth of trees so as not to disrupt the natural process of growth and reproduction.
4. Remove living creatures and droppings of rodents and insects from the collected leaves.
5. Dry the foliage in the air, out of direct sunlight.
6. You can also dry raw materials under a canopy or in an attic with good ventilation.
7. Place the finished product in a cardboard box or canvas bag and store until the next harvest of leaves.

Cosmetologists called Ginkgo biloba the tree of beauty and youth, because its leaves contain universal substances that can preserve youth and beautiful appearance. Cosmetology actively uses an extract from the foliage of tanakan, because it has a powerful antioxidant effect.

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract is included in creams designed to combat age-related skin changes. Such cosmetics improves blood circulation, relieves swelling and fatigue, smoothes fine wrinkles and prevents the appearance of new wrinkles.

An extract from the leaves of the same age as dinosaurs is included in whitening face creams and serum for the care of thin sensitive skin around the eyes. The extract is often injected into sunscreens, tonics and massage oils used to treat swelling on the legs. Such massage products are very effective in the treatment of varicose veins.

Many medicated shampoos and hair masks based on ginkgo biloba extract strengthen damaged and weakened hair, improving its structure, appearance, strength, volume and healthy shine.

Surely many years ago, the nutrient-rich leaves of ginkgo biloba were also food for dinosaurs.

Composition and medicinal properties

The leaves of the tree contain unique substances called gingcolides, which can improve the condition of the walls of blood vessels in the brain. Gingcolides increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, which leads to a better supply of the human brain with oxygen and nutrients necessary for its healthy functioning. The beneficial substances in the foliage of ginkgo biloba prevent free radicals from entering the blood vessels, which provoke the occurrence of cancer.

Tanakan leaves, in addition to the presence of highly active biological substances, have micro- and macroelements in the chemical composition: magnesium and calcium, potassium and iron, phosphorus and selenium, manganese and copper, titanium, which increase the vitality of the body as a whole.

With the help of medicines based on ginkgo biloba, they successfully heal from headaches and dystonia, varicose veins and eye diseases, diseases of the bronchi and lungs, impotence. Preparations with a plant are prescribed to maintain the balance of cholesterol in the blood, prevent the development of stroke and heart attack, in case of poisoning and disruption of the brain.

Medicines with ginkgo are prescribed for cancer diseases as a mitigation of the side effect caused by chemotherapy, as well as for multiple sclerosis, mountain sickness, coronary heart disease, disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, seasonal depression and other affective pathologies.

Perhaps in the near future it will be proven that drugs with ginkgo biloba can restore lost hearing.

Many scientists believe that the plant has a beneficial effect on human lifespan.

The use of ginkgo biloba in traditional medicine: recipes

The arsenal of traditional medicine recipes is also rich in preparations based on ginkgo. To make sure of the healing properties of an ancient plant, we suggest using simple and effective recipes:

1. To improve the blood supply to the brain. Grind five tablespoons of dry or fresh ginkgo biloba leaves, mix them in a bowl with four glasses of vodka. Place the mixture in a cool dark place for two weeks. From time to time, the mixture must be shaken so that the beneficial properties of the leaves are evenly distributed in the vodka. After the specified time, strain the infusion, take it according to the following scheme: dilute a teaspoon of the infusion in water, use it three times a day a few minutes before meals for a month.
2. Tuberculosis, respiratory organs. Grind dry or fresh leaves of the plant. Pour a tablespoon of the product with half a liter of boiling water in a thermos. Let it brew for two hours. Then strain the infusion and use half a glass three times a day before meals for one or two months.
3. Prevention of heart attack, cleansing of blood vessels. Combine five hundred grams of finely chopped fresh tanakan leaves with half a liter of natural honey. Store the mixture in the refrigerator and take a teaspoon several times throughout the day.
4. To enhance potency, with impotence. Pour a tablespoon of finely chopped leaves of the plant with a glass of boiled water and simmer the mixture in a water bath for fifteen minutes. Infuse the potion for thirty minutes. Consume it three times a day, a few minutes before meals, 1/3 cup for a month. The courses of this treatment can be carried out four times a year with interruptions.
5. Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, hypertension, numbness of the extremities. Grind dry ginkgo biloba leaves in a coffee grinder. Take a teaspoon of herbal powder in the morning for a month on an empty stomach, chew it thoroughly and drink it with water. Take a break for two weeks and repeat the course of treatment. Three courses can be held per year. Taking ginkgo biloba regularly has been shown to have good results in treating hypertension.
6. To strengthen the immune system and slow down the aging process. Consume dry tanakan leaf powder for three months in the morning, thirty minutes before a meal, take half a teaspoon with it. warm water... After every thirty days of admission, take a break for two weeks and continue the treatment in the same way five times a year.
7. Allergy. Pour a tablespoon of ginkgo biloba powder with a glass of boiling water and simmer over low heat for ten minutes. Strain the broth, use a tablespoon three times a day thirty minutes before a meal. The course of treatment is 40 days.

Contraindications for use

Before using preparations based on a medicinal plant, you should consult with an experienced herbalist, since there are a number of contraindications to its use.

Ginkgo biloba should not be taken for stomach ulcers and gastritis, circulatory disorders in the brain, with poor blood clotting and myocardial infarction. It is forbidden to take drugs based on ginkgo for hypotension, during pregnancy and during lactation. Children under the age of twelve are not allowed to take medications with ginkgo. In general, the plant works well with other medications, although special care should be taken when consuming ginkgo and drugs that treat thrombosis at the same time. Do not take ginkgo along with aspirin, as it can cause cerebral hemorrhage. The correct use of products based on ginkgo biloba with strict adherence to dosages will have a beneficial effect on your health.

vsegdazdorov.net

Ginkgo biloba tincture

Ginkgo biloba is a relict tree, whose ancestors lived in the same era as dinosaurs. Later, dinosaurs became extinct, and almost all types of ginkgo disappeared from the face of the botanical map of the Earth, according to scientists, there were about fifty of them, and they grew on all continents. To date, the only representative of this family of the species, Ginkgo biloba, has survived.

General information

Ginkgo biloba is a long-lived tree; some modern specimens are 2.5 thousand years old. It grows up to 40 meters in height, and up to 4-5 meters in diameter, it differs from other deciduous gymnosperms with a unique leaf shape. The crown of Ginkgo biloba is pyramidal in shape, the leaves develop in groups on short shoots, and singly on long ones.

In the wild, it grows in the eastern regions of China, it is grown in botanical gardens and parks in southern Europe and North America. In Russia, it grows as an ornamental tree in the Krasnodar Territory on the Black Sea coast.

A tree with such a history and such parameters cannot but possess a unique chemical composition and remarkable properties. They are also found in ginkgo biloba - even in antiquity in China, various parts of it were used for the preparation of medicines and potions along with ginseng, and nowadays they are becoming more and more popular in all countries of the world. And in Japan, its fruits are boiled and eaten.

Ginkgo biloba has a soft, easy-to-work wood, so it is used in artisanal production.

Chemical composition and medicinal properties

Flavonoids were found in the leaves of ginkgo biloba - kaempferol, ginkgetin, quercetin, bilobetin, amentoflavone, sterols, pinitis. Acids - cinchona, shikimic, linolenic, hydrogynous, as well as lactones, terpenes, catechins, wax. Starch, pentosan, essential and fatty oils.

The seeds contain a lot of starch, protein, sugar, arginine, fatty oil, pentosan, asparagine, sitosterol, raffinose, carotene, and foavonides.

The shells of seeds contain butyric, valerian, ginkgol, propionic acids, there are toxic substances.

The preparations made from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba have antioxidant properties, they can slow down aging, which is why it is called the “tree of youth”.

The therapeutic effect in any organ or tissue is achieved due to the fact that Ginkgo biloba preparations restore blood vessels and normalize blood circulation in them.

Medicines made on the basis of ginkgo biloba are used for dizziness, high blood and intracranial pressure, age-related memory loss.

They inhibit the development of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Raynaud's. The use of preparations from ginkgo biloba leaves soothes the nervous system, eliminates anxiety, depressive conditions, and helps with nervous exhaustion.

The glycosides found in the leaves of Ginkgo biloba are used to treat atherosclerosis, vascular diseases, to improve and concentrate memory and attention.

Beneficial substances are extracted from the leaves of ginkgo biloba, which are added to various dietary supplements, they are certainly useful, but they must be used with caution - given individual intolerance and the appearance of a side effect in the form of an allergic reaction.

It should be noted that preparations and dietary supplements with ginkgo in Russia have become popular and even fashionable, but their effect on the human body is not fully understood. According to some researchers, they do not at all contribute to improving memory, although they increase blood circulation in organs and tissues.

Other scientists note that long-term use of drugs and dietary supplements with ginkgo biloba can lead to a stroke - therefore, you should first consult your doctor.

There are absolutely no contraindications for external use of ginkgo biloba oil - it can be rubbed into the scalp to strengthen and grow hair.

Recipes

We suggest that you make your own tincture and infusion of ginkgo biloba leaves at home.

Tincture with vodka made from ginkgo leaves. The preparation of the tincture is as follows: chop the leaves of the plant, put them in a glass jar, fill with vodka or alcohol in a ratio of 1x10. Close the jar with a tight lid and put it in a dark place for 15 days, constantly shaking its contents. You do not need to filter the tincture.

Application: twice a day before meals, 15 drops diluted in 100 ml of water. The tincture is drunk to improve memory, enhance potency, overcome stress and nervous stress.

You need to drink the tincture for at least six months, but the result from it appears already on the 7-10th day.

The tincture helps in the treatment of atherosclerosis, hypertension, emotional stress, cramps, aching limbs, and numbness of the arms and legs caused by impaired blood circulation.

An aqueous infusion is useful for those who are contraindicated in alcohol tincture, its indications are the same as those for alcohol tincture. Chop ginkgo biloba leaves, take 1 tbsp. raw materials and pour a glass of boiling water. Boil the liquid in a water bath for 15 minutes, let it cool and brew. Or, boil the leaves in a thermos and let sit for a few hours.

Application: 60-70 ml, three times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Treatment is carried out for 1 month, then you need to take a break for 2 weeks and resume treatment. To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 courses.

Make a powder from dried ginkgo leaves in a coffee grinder - using it can help heal some diseases. So, powder from the leaves of ginkgo biloba will help get rid of depression if you take it 1-2 times a day, on a coffee spoon, 30 minutes before meals, washed down with warm water. The course of treatment should last 1 month, after a two-week break, it must be resumed. In just a year, you will need 3 courses.

Contraindications

Scientists have found that the substances contained in ginkgo biloba can harm children under 12 years old, pregnant and lactating women. Do not forget about individual intolerance, you can not take ginkgo preparations together with blood thinners, and the day before surgical operations.

Video addition:

onastoykah.ru

Ginkgo biloba is a healthy gift from nature

Ginkgo biloba is a unique tree that existed in the Mesozoic period, the only plant representative that survived to modern world... Its beneficial properties surprise scientists every day, because the tree contains forty different nutrients... Ginkgo biloba grows up to 35 meters, sometimes you can meet specimens 50 meters high.

Despite the fact that there are few ways to brew ginkgo biloba leaves, who knows, the drink is in demand and has a lot positive feedback those who tried it. The leaves of this tree are used for the preparation of infusions, decoctions, teas.

Home use of ginkgo biloba

If you know how to brew ginkgo biloba leaves, you can get rid of various ailments. The plant is curative due to its rich spectrum of medicinal properties:

1. It improves blood circulation, is able to thin the blood and is effective remedy prevention of thrombus formation in blood vessels.
2. A decoction of the leaves helps to dilate the veins, increasing the permeability of the blood.
3. It is an effective remedy for swelling.
4. Keeps the body young due to the large amount of antioxidants in the composition.
5. Protects against strokes, heart attacks, strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
6. It is considered a good anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antiviral agent.
7. Stimulates brain activity, strengthens the immune system, improves memory.
8. Lowers cholesterol levels by stimulating the body to produce insulin.
9. An excellent means of protecting the body from the effects of poisons, toxins.

Leaves preparation methods

Infusion

Composition

• 1 tbsp. l. shredded leaves;
• 300 ml of pure water.

Preparation

1. To boil water.
2. Pour the leaves into a thermos.
3. Pour boiling water over.
4. Insist for 1 hour.
5. Consume warm 3 times a day, 100 ml before meals.

The therapeutic effect of the infusion appears after a month. The infusion helps to cope with high cholesterol, allergies, if you use it in 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

Alcohol tincture

Composition

• 1 liter of vodka;
• 0.1 kg of dried ginkgo biloba leaves.

Preparation

1. Place the leaves in a container.
2. Pour in vodka.
3. Insist in a cool dark place for 14 days.
4. Strain the infusion before use.
5. Consume 10 drops 2 times a day before meals, diluted with water.
6. The course of treatment lasts 1-2 months.

An alcoholic tincture of the plant can be used to improve potency. You need to use it in 15 drops diluted in 0.5 cups of water twice a day for six months.

Contraindications

Despite the positive characteristics of ginkgo biloba, how to brew leaves and use infusions and decoctions from them - plays important role for different categories of people:

1. When pregnant or breastfeeding, it is best to avoid ginkgo biloba.
2. The use of decoctions, infusions, tea from tree leaves is contraindicated in children under 12 years of age.
3. Open wounds, severe bleeding, heart attack are serious contraindications to the use of ginkgo biloba, because the plant promotes blood thinning.
4. Not recommended for use with aspirin or other blood thinners.
5. If a person is in the preoperative period, then drinking the drink is strictly prohibited.

Making ginkgo biloba tea

Ginkgo biloba tea - how to brew, you can find out in the following recipe.

Composition

• 1 tsp leaves;
• 1 glass of water.

Preparation

1. Heat already boiled water to 90 degrees.
2. Pour over the leaves.
3. Insist 5 minutes.
4. Drink it warm instead of regular tea for a month, with breaks of 2 weeks.

Scientists have proven that ginkgo biloba exhibits medicinal properties already on the seventh day of use.

To reach maximum effect the course of treatment should be followed for 3 months.

A feature of the plant is that all active substances do not accumulate in the body and do not harm health.

Most often, experts recommend using an infusion of ginkgo biloba leaves, because this method of preparation does not destroy nutrients and is the most effective in treating various diseases. The dry leaves of the plant also have useful properties.

Composition

• 1 tbsp. l. leaves;
• 1 glass of water.

Preparation

1. Take dried leaves.
2. To boil water.
3. Place dry leaves in a thermos.
4. Pour boiling water over.
5. Insist 2 hours.
6. strain the infusion;
7. Consume a third of a glass warm before meals 3 times a day.
8. The course of treatment consists of 30 days, with breaks of 14 days.

A tangible result will come after 3-4 courses of treatment.

Ginkgo biloba is considered a rare but very effective remedy for combating and preventing various diseases. However, it is imperative to consult your doctor before use.

Ginkgo biloba is a tree up to 40 meters high and with a trunk diameter of up to 4.5 meters. The crown of this plant is at first pyramidal, and with age, growth in breadth is observed.

The specific epithet biloba in Latin means two lobes, because most of the leaves are divided into two halves.

It is very different from conifers, it is assumed that ginkgoids are the direct descendants of one of the groups of ancient seed ferns and are not related to other gymnosperms.

Ginkgoids, according to the study of fossil specimens, arose at the beginning of late Perm, and reached their maximum diversity in the middle of the Jura, when at least 15 different genera of Ginkgoids grew.

Plants of the Ginkgo class were widespread on Earth in the Mesozoic era.

In the temperate polar forests of Siberia in the Jura and early Mela, Ginkgoids were so common that they are found in most sediments of that time, in autumn the land was often covered with a continuous carpet of ginkgo leaves, like modern carpets of maple and linden leaves in the European part of the former USSR.

In Russia it is distributed as ornamental plant, grows on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (for example, in Sochi, it is planted with Apricot Street).

There are also several trees in Kaliningrad: two near the entrance to the Kaliningrad Zoo, one in the park behind the Musical Theater, one on the territory of the central market and on the street. Marina Raskova.

For centuries, it was thought that this plant did not occur in the wild, it is now known that the wild form of Ginkgo grows in two small areas in eastern China, but these areas have been cultivated by humans for thousands of years, so the status of this form is still under doubt.

It is currently cultivated in most botanical gardens and parks in subtropical Europe and North America.

Miracle plant in my garden near Moscow

Ginkgo biloba is a relict tree that belongs to the earliest plants on Earth and has a number of archaic characteristics.

Ginkgo is called the "dinosaur tree" because it witnessed the life of dinosaurs on our planet.

In my garden near Moscow, a young ginkgo tree has been growing for more than three years.

I have a long-term personal history with the ginkgo biloba plant. In 1979 I was in Germany and bought a small pendant in the form of an amazing leaf-fan.

At first, I did not know that a tree with such leaves really exists. I thought that this intricately carved leaf was a figment of the imagination of a talented jeweler and its beautiful embodiment ...

And then I stumbled upon a poem by Johann Goethe about the gingko biloba plant. In Germany, the ginkgo is called the "Goethe tree".

Goethe's poem "Ginkgo biloba"

Translated from German into Russian (translation by V.V. Levik), the poem "Ginkgo biloba" sounds like this:

This leaf was from the East
My humble was brought into the garden,
And for the seeing eye
He reveals the secret meaning.

Is there a living creature here
Split in half?
Or, on the contrary, two at once
Are presented in unity to us?

Both the riddle and the doubts
Solve my verse alone;
List my creations
I myself am dually one.

So given poetic work I. Goethe, who was fond of botany, helped me learn about this unique plant world. Since then, ginkgo has been interesting and surprising to me for 32 years. I am collecting various information about this miracle of nature.

Ginkgo is a unique plant

Ginkgo biloba, or ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba) - one of the 50 oldest tree species that have survived on Earth after the ice age. Moreover, as a result of this cataclysm, ginkgo trees remained in nature only in the Far East.

In its natural habitat (on the territory of Eastern China, in the vicinity of the city of Nanjing), ginkgo is a powerful deciduous upright tree up to 40 m high, with a trunk diameter of up to 4 m, with a wide-pyramidal crown. Ginkgo can live up to 2 thousand years.

Ginkgo in translation from Chinese and Japanese means "silver apricot", "silver nut". Since ancient times, for many thousands of years, ginkgo has been carefully bred in China and Japan as a sacred and medicinal plant.

Ginkgo is mentioned in the most ancient oriental books; it has long been revered as a temple tree, a symbol of endurance and longevity. Inhabitants of the East worship him and with reverence collect the fallen leaves of ginkgo.

Japanese youth use gingko biloba leaves for divination.
Ginkgo is also used as a bonsai item.

From here, from the East, this plant was exported several centuries ago to different countries the world.

At the beginning and middle of the 18th century, the ginkgo tree was brought to Western Europe (to the Dutch Utrecht Botanical Garden, to England, to the Milan Botanical Garden, etc.), to North America.

Therefore, in these territories, it has long been a common ornamental-leaved plant, but has a lower height (18-24 m).

Now ginkgo is cultivated in many countries with mild climates as decorative tree with medicinal properties. Ginkgo also grows in Russia - on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (at the age of 70, the trees reach a height of 30 m). Ginkgo trees live in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden; in Ukraine, these plants grow up to 20 meters.

Ginkgo is characterized by a peculiar whorled arrangement of branches; the bark is brown-gray, the wood is light and soft. The root system of the tree is branched and penetrates deep into the soil, so it is not afraid of strong winds.

The lamellar leathery ginkgo leaves are about 8-10 cm wide. They are located on a long petiole and are fan-shaped, often dissected in the upper part into two halves-lobes.

Ginkgo is a dioecious plant. At a young age, the seedling remains rather narrow and grows relatively slowly, and as it develops, it expands to the sides.

There are several varieties with a narrow crown.
Ginkgo begins to bear fruit at the age of 25-30, and then the sex of the tree can be accurately determined. In female plants, after a hot summer, seeds are formed, surrounded by a fleshy cover.

Ginkgo fruits resemble plums, with a diameter of about 3 cm. Inside there is a disk-shaped seed about 2 cm long, more than 1 cm thick. Seeds in fried or boiled form are eaten.

The fleshy shell of ginkgo fruits smells unpleasant when rotting, so male and female plants are usually planted separately.

Female specimens are not planted next to a garden or park path so that fallen fruits do not choke on it (when the flesh of the ginkgo fruit begins to rot, an unwanted odor spreads around).

Perhaps this is the only disadvantage of this plant when using it for landscaping.

Ginkgo is considered the progenitor of all conifers; its distant relatives are spruces and pines, which are widespread in the world.

Buying a ginkgo seedling in the nursery

I suddenly saw a ginkgo seedling once sold in a nursery near Moscow! This happened five years ago.
At first, I just couldn't believe my eyes. However, it really was a ginkgo tree - after all, thanks to the unusual leaves, it is impossible to confuse it with another plant ...

When I read that ginkgo grows in China and southern Japan, I was scared that in our land, with a harsh winter, it would winter badly. Therefore, at first I lost faith in the fact that ginkgo would grow here, and that I would ever be able to buy it.

But two years later it still happened!

I talked to the owner of the nursery who was selling ginkgo seedlings. He said that these plants are acclimatized to the local climate, and that the ginkgo tree is hardy and unpretentious. He said that ginkgo grows normally in Moscow.

And although I have not seen growing ginkgo anywhere in Moscow, I believe in the owner of the nursery. He gives a guarantee to his customers for all purchased plants, and this nursery is located very close - just two stops from my garden plot(my garden is located near Moscow, 22 km before Naro-Fominsk, along the Kiev highway).

I'm a crazy gardener and I love passionate people like me, plant lovers.

After talking with the owner of the nursery, I could not deny myself the purchase of a ginkgo seedling, I could not help but buy this little miracle. Of course, I had to borrow money.
I bought a ginkgo seedling and planted it in my garden. Now this is a miracle - as a family member, I am so in love with him!

Growing ginkgo in the garden

Ginkgo is photophilous and prefers a sunny place in the garden, but it is advisable to protect the seedling from the burning sun.

Young ginkgo leaves are pubescent. In spring they are pale green, in summer they become medium green. Autumn color of leaves of a golden tone, the color of butter.

Ginkgo grows in my Spartan conditions. The place where my garden is located is cold and rather damp, since it is located in a lowland (surprisingly, because the garden is located south of Moscow). Our soil is clayey.

By the way, ginkgo is absolutely not picky about soils. Of course, a ginkgo seedling will grow better in fertile soils with adequate moisture. In drought, the plant suffers and needs regular watering.

Ginkgo is suitable for urban cultivation as it is smoke, gas and dust resistant. And it is also important that this resistant plant is not susceptible to various infections and is not affected by pests. Therefore, there is no particular hassle with the cultivation of ginkgo.

Plant care comes down to the periodic removal of weeds and loosening.

I don’t fertilize ginkgo with anything, I just sprinkle the Christmas tree needles on the ground very superficially loosened around the tree. This is beneficial for the plant because ginkgo is a coniferous species.

As long as my tree likes this kind of care, it looks good and grows a little.

Breeding methods and grafting of ginkgo

Ginkgo propagates by seeds (they are sown before winter), as well as by cuttings and grafting.

When buying this plant, you need to consider that ginkgo seedlings are bisexual.

I think that a girl lives with me, since the branches of my seedling diverge parallel to the ground and grow low along the stem, and not at the top.

I saw the boy on sale in the nursery two years before I bought my plant. Ginkgo saplings-boys are very tall, with slender bare trunks, and their twigs grow at the very top of the head, rushing up.

They say that if you want to get seeds from a single ginkgo seedling, you can graft ginkgo with twigs - graft cuttings removed from a boy on a girl, and vice versa.

Wintering ginkgo

Ginkgo can winter successfully even in regions with cold winters (zones 4-9).

In the literature on the winter hardiness of ginkgo, there is information that it is a fairly frost-resistant plant - it can withstand short-term frosts down to -25 degrees, maximum up to -30 degrees.

However, in my experience, as a result of acclimatization, ginkgo can withstand much colder temperatures for extended periods of time.

In my example, it is -35 ... -40 degrees below zero, and even lower. After all, even our harsh winter turned out to be nothing for the ginkgo - the tree successfully overwintered, and in the spring it started to grow.

Last winter (2009-2010) was very cold in our area. For a month and a half in a row, there were bitter frosts, and the temperature sometimes dropped below -40 degrees.

But despite this, my ginkgo tree, and not being specially sheltered, hibernating only under a snow cap, still survived!

I really hope that my seedling survived this next winter well, and again it will please me with new growth in the spring :)

I would like many plant lovers in different countries to know about this unique tree and about the ability of ginkgo to grow in regions with a cold climate.

So that they also love ginkgo and plant a seedling in their garden, they can use its leaves for medicinal purposes. So that as many people who are keen on gardening as possible feel the joy and happiness that I get from my tree.

I hope that my story about ginkgo will inspire Gardenia.ru readers to grow this miracle in their garden!

Cultivation, reproduction, use

Ginkgo in last years became widely known for the popularity of natural medicines that include ginkgo. However, lovers of plant rarities are also attracted by ginkgo as a unique ancient representative of the kingdom of Flora, fascinating with its beauty.

Undoubtedly, ginkgo is a very interesting, exotic and rare plant. And to unusual plants any gardener always shows heightened interest.
Many gardeners are keen to acquire and place ginkgo on their site.

Ginkgo: from antiquity to the present day

Ginkgo is an amazing and very ancient plant. According to some reports, ginkgo has existed on our planet for 250 million years! It is truly a "living dinosaur" of the plant kingdom.

Ginkgo is the oldest surviving species on Earth after the Ice Age. It is one of the most primitive gymnosperms of the modern assortment, representing both the genus and the family in the singular.

Charles Darwin called the ginkgo "dinosaur tree", and the scientific name "ginkgo biloba" was given to the plant by Carl Linnaeus.

Ginkgo is considered the progenitor of all conifers. Spruces and pines, widespread in the world, are its distant "relatives".

Small natural thickets of ginkgo have survived to this day in a tiny area in eastern China, where ginkgo forms forests along with coniferous and broad-leaved trees.

On the territory of China there are the oldest specimens of ginkgo, which are supposedly more than a thousand years old.

Ginkgo first came to Europe from Japan, from where the plant began to spread throughout the world. Due to this, in our time, ginkgo is widely cultivated in many countries.

Unique ginkgo leaves

Translated from Japanese, "ginkgo" means "silver apricot". And in Germany, the ginkgo is called the "Goethe tree": the poet dedicated a poem to him, in which he sings the peculiar leaves of this tree.

According to Goethe, the shape of the ginkgo leaf symbolizes the union of two loving hearts ...

They are fan-shaped, often dissected into two deep lobes (this is reflected in the species name "biloba"), leathery, naked, slightly corrugated along the edge, bluish-green in color, attached on long petioles.

Ginkgo leaves are located on shortened shoots singly or in bunches.

Every year in late autumn, the ginkgo tree sheds its beautiful leaves. Shortly before leaf fall, they are painted in golden-yellow tones, giving the plant an unforgettable look.

Flowering and fruiting of ginkgo

Ginkgo trees are divided into female and male specimens.

In female plants, flowers are collected in small greenish-yellow inflorescences.

Until the beginning of the flowering of young ginkgoes, it is impossible to determine exactly which plant is a female or a male.

Only an assumption is made, depending on the nature of the formation of the crown: in male specimens, it is usually pyramidal and slender, and in females it is wider and more rounded.

Ginkgo biloba trees begin to bloom, produce pollen and seeds at the age of 25-30.

No tree on Earth reproduces like this anymore.

The method of reproduction of ginkgo brings it closer to ferns and other spore plants, in which fertilization is carried out with the help of floating male germ cells.

In all other trees, male reproductive cells cannot move independently.

The ginkgo seed is covered with a fleshy blanket (like a plum) of a burning astringent taste, with an unpleasant odor.

The use of ginkgo in landscaping

The ginkgo tree is highly decorative: it has a light trunk, an original crown with bluish greenery of amazing leaves, sparkling with gold in autumn.

Ginkgo is widely used in landscaping, as the trees are unpretentious, smoke and gas resistant.
Plants are not susceptible to diseases and insect pests, they are quite frost-resistant (they tolerate a decrease in temperature in winter to -30 degrees).

For landscaping, male specimens of ginkgo are mainly planted. Female trees try not to plant in parks: the fleshy membrane of the crumbling ginkgo fruits begins to rot, emitting an unpleasant odor.

Growing ginkgo from seeds

Ginkgo can grow successfully in conditions middle lane Russia. There is information that ginkgo is grown in Moscow, in St. Petersburg.

Freshly harvested ginkgo seeds have a high germination capacity. But then it is quickly lost due to the fact that the endosperm contains fatty acids (therefore, peeled ginkgo seeds in fried form have long been eaten by the Japanese).

I grew ginkgo from seeds that were sent to me from Abkhazia.

Received seeds in January; they look like apricot pits, only white.

In early March, I planted ginkgo seeds in a box, to a depth of 6-7 cm.

Put the box in the room by the window; I covered the box with foil so that the earth did not dry out quickly.

The first shoots of ginkgo began to appear about a month after sowing. Germination was not high: only 2-3 seeds emerged from about 10 seeds.

The plants developed slowly, and by the end of May the ginkgo seedlings had reached only 5-7 cm. At this stage of development, I planted them in open ground.

The whole care of ginkgo seedlings consisted of weeding, watering in the heat. I did not do any additional fertilizing to young plants.

By the fall, the ginkgo seedlings had grown a little, reaching a height of only 10-12 cm.

Wintering of ginkgo seedlings in the open field

Before the first wintering, I covered young ginkgo plants (in their full growth) with dry coniferous sawdust.

He covered the ginkgo when stable cold weather was established, and the temperature began to constantly keep around -10 degrees. So my plants went into winter.

In the spring, after the snow melted, I removed the sawdust and was glad - all the ginkgo seedlings were perfectly preserved during the wintering period.

Ginkgo transplant and plant care

Young plants were planted in permanent places.

It is better to do this right away, since ginkgo seedlings do not tolerate transplanting well. After transplantation, in the first 2-3 years, the plants give almost no growth, taking root in a new place for a long time.

It is necessary to choose a bright place for planting a seedling in the garden, but ginkgo does not tolerate the scorching sun well - this must be taken into account. Well, ginkgo will adapt to everything else, this is an unpretentious plant.

For successful rooting and growth, the seedling only needs sufficient soil moisture.

In our zone, ginkgo does not differ in its strength of growth: during the season, the seedling gives an increase of only up to 5 cm.

Ginkgo has been growing in my garden for over 8 years, and at the moment (end of 2012) it reaches a height of only 140 cm.

The first wintering of ginkgo seedlings was successful, and in the following winters I no longer sheltered these plants. For a good wintering of ginkgo, a thick layer of snow was enough, which reaches about 2 m in this place of the garden.

In the abnormally cold winter of 2009-2010, when there was no snow cover for a long time and at the same time severe frosts burst out, even quite winter-hardy plants (garlic, chrysanthemums, etc.) died in my garden.

Oddly enough, the ginkgo survived that harsh winter perfectly, although the tips of the shoots were frozen.

As I already emphasized, no pests or diseases were observed in ginkgo - apparently, they have not survived since ancient times, so the plant feels at ease in the garden. It is only possible that the bark of a ginkgo tree can be gnawed by mice (but my ginkgo has not yet been attacked by mice).

Propagation of ginkgo by cuttings

Ginkgo besides seed reproduction can be propagated by stem and root cuttings.

For propagation of ginkgo by cuttings, it is better to cut them at the end of June. Preference should be given not to long shoots (by that time still poorly lignified), but to short ones.

I cut the selected shoots of ginkgo into cuttings, preferably with a heel or with a part of last year's wood.

I remove half of the leaves from the ginkgo cuttings and place them in a solution of a rooting stimulant (I use heteroauxin).

Then I plant the ginkgo cuttings in a soil film greenhouse, where a mixture of coarse sand with peat is used as a substrate.

I regularly spray the planted cuttings of ginkgo. With a favorable outcome, by the fall they give roots (or at least callus is formed).

Before wintering, I cover the ginkgo cuttings in the same way as described above - I cover the plants to the top with dry sawdust.

Plants grown from cuttings develop more slowly than ginkgo seedlings; at least such dynamics is observed in the first three years of their life.

These are the main points on seed and vegetative propagation, as well as the care of ginkgo, which I would like to draw the attention of gardenia.ru plant lovers planning to grow this relic from the Mesozoic era.

Many gardeners are attracted by the main advantages of ginkgo - the originality of its leaves, which have medicinal properties, as well as the decorativeness of the whole appearance of the tree.

In addition, if certain conditions are met, ginkgo can be grown in the house, including as a bonsai.

Ginkgo in medicine

Ginkgo has a variety of medicinal properties and has been used as a medicine since ancient times. Medicines based on Ginkgo biloba leaf extract are very popular all over the world.

Their main therapeutic effect is based on the fact that ginkgo contains specific substances (ginkgolides and bilobalides) - they no longer exist in any plant that exists on the planet now.

These unique substances increase the elasticity and strength of the walls of blood vessels, have vasodilating properties, and suppress inflammatory reactions.

Ginkgo leaf extract also has other positive effects on the human body:
- lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood;
- improves blood circulation in case of functional disorder of the cerebral vessels;
- reduces the tendency for dangerous clots or blood clots in veins and arteries;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- enhances the speed of thinking.

This unique complex of health-improving properties, very important for improving well-being and strengthening human health, is characteristic only of ginkgo.

Now in Russia you can buy various medicines and the so-called dietary supplements (dietary supplements) containing ginkgo biloba extract.

But a lot of crafts have appeared, be careful: buy only proven drugs from well-known manufacturers. Read the instructions for use of the drug carefully and consult your doctor.

Ginkgo growers use a tincture of leaves harvested from their plants for medicinal purposes. And admiring the beautiful ginkgo tree brings a lot of joy.

Given the antiquity and uniqueness of Gink-go, I consider it obligatory to plant several specimens of Gink-go in Ecopark Z. It should be borne in mind that Gink-go does not tolerate transplanting well, therefore, one should try even to plant seedlings immediately in a permanent place, and in case of a forced transplant, cut out the maximum lump of soil ...

Taking into account the value of Ginkgo seedlings, I will drive three stakes 30 cm from each seedling and make protection from hares with a plastic or metal mesh.

The main number of Ginkgo seedlings will be planted in the nursery exotic plants surrounded by a plastic mesh.

Annual seedlings of Ginkgo can be purchased for 490 rubles per Specialized Walnut Nursery.

You can purchase Ginkgo seeds and grow them yourself through seedlings. The price of each seed is 24 - 26 rubles, and the germination rate is from 25 to 81%. The Ginkgo seeds are packed by the Gavrish company - it makes sense to purchase 20 Ginkgo seeds for 471 rubles on Yandex Market in order to grow from 5 to 16 Ginkgo seedlings.

Since the Gavrish company sells only in bulk, on its website you only need to look for the addresses of retail stores where you can buy its products. For my wife and I, the most convenient store is SEMENA at VDNKh, where we have long trodden a path.

Here is information about Ginkgo from the Gavrish company:

Ginkgo biloba Relic

This legendary plant is a "living fossil", more ancient than conifers. None of the modern gymnosperms have such decorative leaves. In the early 18th century, ginkgo as a "temple tree" was brought to Europe from the Chinese palace gardens.

The tree is deciduous, with a slender crown, single or multi-stem. It grows in its homeland up to 30 m in height. The branches extend from the trunk at almost right angles. The bark is gray with longitudinal folds, wrinkled.

Leaves are leathery, with frequent parallel veins, fan-shaped, dissected into two lobes, collected in bunches on shortened shoots, due to which in winter the branches acquire original view... In autumn, the leaves take on an attractive golden yellow color.

The plant is dioecious. Grows well on garden soil in the sun or in partial shade. Ginkgo takes root well, is undemanding to soil, is quite frost-hardy (up to -30 ° C), easily propagated by seeds.

Before sowing, fleshy ginkgo fruits are best cleaned by soaking in salt water. Peeled seeds are sown to a depth of 3-5 cm after 1-2 months of stratification in wet sand in a refrigerator at a temperature of +2 ° C.

In the conditions of the non-chernozem zone, the plant is more often formed in the form of a low-growing bush, since in severe winters it freezes over. It is better to cover young plants for the winter with a covering material.

In the southern regions, ginkgo is used for urban landscaping as it is resistant to industrial air smoke, fungal and viral diseases, and insect damage.

Considered valuable medicinal plant, has a rejuvenating effect. Medicines are prepared from the leaves to improve cerebral circulation, with atherosclerosis, diabetes, and sleep disorders.

I apologize for the distorted name of Ginkgo with an extra feature - this was done purely specifically for the sake of Yoast SEO, I hope over time to get rid of the extra feature, gradually supplementing the text and reducing the frequency of the keyword.

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