Genus: Ginkgo
Family: Ginkgoaceae
This tree can grow to 100 feet tall and have a diameter of 14 feet. It is a native of China. The leaves resembles those of a maidenhair fern and turn a lovely yellow in the fall. The male and female trees are separate, and the females bear a malodorous fruit. This species is very old; in the days of the dinosaurs Ginkgos covered the temperate world.
The two largest and most prominent Ginkgos on the Reed campus are located on the main campus driveway, just to the west of the library. These trees, which are over 60 years old, were originally planted in the campus arboretum, where Vollum Hall now stands. In early 1940 they were transplanted to their present location, which at that time was the main library entrance. Writing in the February 1940 issue of theReed College Notes, Biology professor Demorest Davenport described them as “naked Christmas trees.”
(The full text of Davenport’s article is also available on-line.)
Ginkgos are very popular trees around the world and there are lots of websites offering photos and more information. One of the best places to start would be the “Ginkgo Pages” –http://www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/.