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The maidenhair tree is often described as a living fossil. Its ancestors were growing more than 200 million years ago, and *Ginkgo biloba* is now the sole surviving species of an otherwise ancient group of trees. Its distinctive fan-shaped leaves turn a magnificent golden yellow in autumn, often dropping within a remarkably short period to form a bright carpet beneath the tree.
Ginkgos are exceptionally long-lived and remarkably tolerant of pollution, disease and difficult urban conditions. Female trees produce fleshy fruits with a notoriously unpleasant smell, so male trees are generally preferred for street planting.
This fine specimen was photographed at Ventnor Botanic Garden, with Clare’s mum, Brenda, kindly providing a sense of scale.