It is an ancient living tree, hailing from the days of the dinosaurs. Gingko, in other words is the world s oldest extant tree. It is a tree that is native to China. The leaves of the gingko tree are broad and shaped like fans. The orangey yellow fruit contains butyric acid which gives them their characteristic disagreeable odor.
Gingko fruits grow only on the female trees.
The male trees are often planted in parks and such as ornamental trees. Gingko trees were almost extinct at one point in time. The ice age destroyed their natural habitats and it was thought that there were no more gingkos in China until the late 18th century. A discovery was made in a remote monastery where gingko trees had been cultivated by generations of monks. The nuts, encased in the smelly fruit, come into season in mid to late fall.