7 Comments

One of my neighbors (in Brooklyn, NY) has been scrubbing the flesh off ginkgo fruit for a few days and drying the kernels. The flesh is very irritating to skin (hence the gloves) and stinky. The kernels will be roasted and eaten, in moderation!

https://www.gardenista.com/posts/ginkgo-nuts/

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I saw the seeds (nuts?) in an Asian supermarket recently, but wasn’t brave enough to buy them as I didn’t know what to do with them, so thanks for the tip! Next time I’ll get them.

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I love the Street Trees posts! But I'm not keen on having those smelly Jurassic trees in my yard! Lots of other trees have gorgeous foliage minus the odious and odorous fruits! Avoid the female Gingkos at all costs!

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There is an argument that having more females reduces the amount of male pollen floating around in the spring, which can trigger allergies for some.

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Well in general females do have a civilizing effect on males!

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I have a Gingko in my backyard, I estimate it is about 50-60 years old. It was a tall young tree when I moved in 45 years ago. It didn't produce fruit until about 30 years ago, yes messy and stinky. I don't know how you 'sex' a tree, perhaps there are new ways. I would prefer a male, but the birds and squirrels like this autumn snack (the nut not the fruit), and I still get many baby gingko trees every year.

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I don’t think you can ‘sex’ a ginkgo until it starts producing flowers, I guess most of those male trees they plant are propagated from cuttings.

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