Roger's tree pick for November: the Ginkgo tree

Ginkgo biloba is an ancient tree with fossils dating back over 225 million years. It is a sacred tree in Asia and may owe its survival to centuries of cultivation by Buddhist priests on temple grounds. It probably no longer grows in a truly natural state but is now cultivated throughout the world for the renowned qualities of its genetic makeup.

The Ginkgo was given the common name “Maidenhair Tree,” for its individual leaves are shaped and similar to the delicate Maidenhair fern. I personally prefer the “Dinosaur Tree,” as the Ginkgo species date back to when the dinosaurs roamed the earth an...