Ginkgo Glory

I had to drive over to "old" Helena this morning to take Zach for his monthly doctor's appointment and this time of the year the drive doesn't bother me a bit because of the color show that the trees put on.

Of all the colorful fall foliage, the Ginkgo trees are my favorite. That's a Ginkgo tree in my header and the pictures above are trees in front of, and near, the doctor's office. I really wish I had thought to plant one of them in my yard back years ago because they're really magnificent trees.

Ginkgo Facts

The Ginkgo is the sole living link between the lower and higher plants, between ferns and conifers. It is is regarded as a living fossil.

There are male and female Ginkgo trees. The male tree usually has a slim column form and is slightly longer, the female tree has a wider crown and a more spread out form.

The extract of the dried leaves is popular for their use as a diet supplement and/or herbal medicine (prescribed in Europe) for the brain, legs, eyes, heart and ears. Scientific studies show that good extracts may improve bloodcirculation and memory, prevent bloodclotting, damage by free radicals and give an improved sense of well-being and can be used for many other disorders. The leaves are also used as tea for a variety of ailments.

The Ginkgo can have a long life span, 1,000 or older. In China the oldest Ginkgo is about 3,500 years old!


I want to remind everyone about the Photo Challenge for tomorrow. Miz Maria is our lovely hostess this time and she chose "Water" as our challenge topic. Y'all be sure to go over and sign up in the comments if you haven't already. We really love to see everyone's pictures!

I'm a little slow this week with visiting my favorite bloggers, but don't give up on me, I'll get there, I promise!