Gardening Trees, Shrubs & Vines Trees Ginkgo By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 1, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Ginkgo Overview Description It's a magical sight when the ruffled, fan-shape leaves of the ginkgo tree turn gold in fall. The delicate appearance of this ancient tree belies its toughness in city conditions. Smog-, pest-, and drought-tolerant, the ginkgo will grow in either acidic or alkaline soil. Ginkgos are slow-growing and make excellent street trees. Select cultivars rather than species to avoid growing female trees; they produce foul-smelling fruit. Genus Name Ginkgo biloba Common Name Ginkgo Plant Type Tree Light Sun Height 20 to 20 feet Width 30 to 80 feet Season Features Colorful Fall Foliage Special Features Good for Containers Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Stem Cuttings Problem Solvers Good For Privacy, Groundcover, Slope/Erosion Control just-right garden tools and care tips to help with your landscape More Videos » Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit