The leaves are unlike other gymnosperms, such as the pines and spruce, which are linear. The stubby spurs are also distinctive and can be seen at a distance. Twigs are stout and stiff. The upper edge of the leaf scar is fringed and contains two bundle scars. May. The fruit matures in early fall and is yellow in color.
Pulp is ill-smelling when decaying and surrounds an edible nut or seed.
The roasted nut is a favorite in Oriental cooking. Ginkgo is commonly planted in Ohio parks, gardens, and private estates. It is noted as an ornamental tree that is resistant to many insects and disease pests. Selected male cultivars are available for landscape planting, but you must be careful, as a number of cultivars introduced as males were late-flowering females. Very slow to establish, ginkgos grow rapidly after a 20-year establishment period.