Growing a Gingko Tree from Seed and Beyond

Have you ever been driving through a neighborhood and noticed a stunningly brilliant yellow tree with distinctive fan-shaped leaves? Or maybe you have heard of taking gingko biloba supplements for helping various ailments. Well that is what happened to me and so I started looking into what kind of a tree it was and if I could plant it on our property. But that was years ago and I never acted on getting seedlings or seeds until the fall of 2023.

I was taking a walk in a neighboring town and noticed a small fruit on the ground along the curb of a street. Since the size and shape reminded me of a small apricot I was curious what it might be but before I could touch it, the rank smell reminded me of my previous research on the Gingko tree and that the seeds should not be touched with bare hands. I picked it up with a napkin and looked around for the mother tree. Sure enough, about 20 feet away was a female Gingko tree covered in the orange fruit and plenty of droppings for me to grab. 

So to start, this is how you can grow a Gingko tree from seed.

-Harvest ripe dropped seeds in the early fall.

-Place them in a clean bucket and covered them with water for around three weeks. Keep them away from your house as the smell is horrendous

-Drain the seeds and put on rubber gloves. Separate the fleshy covering from the seed underneath and then rinse with fresh water.

-Place the seeds in a damp paper towel or cloth and then in a plastic bag or container. Keep them in a dark cool (40-55 degrees F) place for the next 6 months. Check every few weeks to make sure the towel or cloth is still damp, but not wet.

-Remove the sprouted seeds in the spring and plant in a gallon pot filled with regular potting soil, being careful not to damage the small root. Set them in a sheltered place outside and water as needed to keep the soil damp.

-Once the seedling is about 8-12 inches tall in the summer, you can transplant the young tree to a permanent spot where it can grow at least 10 feet from any other trees or shrubs. Full sun is best but the tree will also grow just fine in partial sunlight.

-Water the tree every few days or as needed through the summer so the young roots don't dry out.

-For the tree to bear fruit, you will need at least one male and one female but since you don't know which is which until several years have passed, predicting what you have is a bit of a gamble. 

You can also grow these as a bonsai in a pot if you are not in the growing zones 3-9.

The roots are not invasive as they grow deep and so they make great neighborhood trees along sidewalks or small backyards.

If you don't have access to a neighborhood tree for the seeds, I do have several seedlings for sale on my page on Etsy here: Gingko biloba seedlings.