Plant Study
Introducing Ginkgo Biloba the magnificent plant!!!!
The Ginkgo is incredible it is one of the most beautiful trees and is the oldest living tree species. This plant has been growing on earth for 150-200 million years. The Ginkgo tree was native in China, but now found in many places. This plant was saved from extinction by Buddhist monks in China who must have understood its sacredness. The monks cultivated the tree in there temples for more then 1,500 years. It was bought to Japan by Buddhist monks about 800 AD and in 1691 Engel Kaempfer brought seeds to Europe. Ginkgo is the most commonly planted tree in the U.S. for its beauty and ability to stand against harsh pollution. The Ginkgo has unique fan shaped leaves that are 2-3 inches long and look like butterfly wings.
It is also an amazing medicinal herb. Gingko has been used in Chinese medicine for several hundred years. It is now called “the smart drug” and used in many commercial drinks to enhance mental performance.
Ginkgo biloba is used to benefit many things! It is known to increase memory, clarity and blood circulation, it is also used for the treatment of many diseases common to the elderly such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, peripheral claudication, and tinnitus of vascular origin. Ginkgo is generally well tolerated but can increase risk of bleeding if taken with other medications.
Ginkgo biloba
Family Name: Ginkgo family
Family Name: Ginkgoaceae
Latin Name: Ginkgo biloba
Common Names: Ginkgo, Maidenhair tree, Ginkgo was derived from the Japanese word Ginkkyo “silver apricot”.
Related Species:” Related to conifers but differs in having broad, fan shaped leaves rather then needle like foliage. In shape an veining, leaves resemble leaflets of maidenhair fern, hence tree’s common name”(2,366).
Body System Affiliations:
1. Nervous system 2. Pediatrics
Botanical Description:
Habit: tree
Size: up to 100ft
Arrangement: Alternate leaves
Leaves: Fan shaped, divided, mid- to yellow-green leaves turn golden yellow in autumn.
Flowers: Bloom in late spring and are catkin-like, pendulous, cylindrical yellow male flowers, 3in long borne in clusters.
Fruit: Round, solitary female flowers bear plum-like, yellow-green fruit, with a single boney nut like seed.
Bark: Upright tree, columnar then wide spreading, with furrowed, dull gray bark or dark brownish or blackish gray. Young trees bark is smoother while the older trees are rougher.
Twigs: The twigs are stout, smooth, yellow, brown shiny (4,58).
Underground parts: The roots are very deep.
Ecology:
Habitat: Prefers moist, deep, sandy soils in full sun, but is very adaptable to stressful situations, including poor soils, compacted soils, various soil pHs, heat, drought, water salt spray and is therefore very tolerant in urban areas.
Range: World wide,
Native Where: SE China
Ecological Relationships: Interesting enough they found petrified remains of Ginkgo biloba in a Washington state park, that shows it existed in the area several thousands of years ago. However it is suggested that that the climate was different then perhaps the altitude was higher.
Propagation:
Technique: By cutting from male cultivars grafted onto seedling rootstock, or propagating by seed.
Timing: this species may not flower until it is about twenty years old male trees pollinate the pendulous pistil late flowers 2” pentacles on female trees in March and April
Harvest:
Plant Part: Leaves
Season of Harvest: Fall after the tree has reached 6 to 8 feet in height and is healthy. The leaves should be just turning yellow when you harvest. Places where the Ginkgo is mature, many people harvest by waiting for the leaves to fall from the tree.
Method of Harvest: picking the leaves
Ecological Considerations of Harvest: If it is young don’t pick too much!!
Cautions: Avoid female plants, the fruit is very messy and the odor is putrid!!!!!!!!!!!
Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships: The ginkgo leaf is used to make herbal teas and extracts, which have been shown to have a remarkably wide range of positive health effects. It has been a staple of Chinese medicine for hundreds of years.
Food: Tea, edible seeds. The nuts are a special food and delicacy of China and Japan.
Medicine:
Indigenous Group: South East Chinese People.
Part Used: Leaves and seeds.
.
Indications: Gingko has been used to relieve tension. Helps any sort of blood circulation and improve mental performance and clarity.
Body System Associations: Skin
Other: “The Ginkgo is the oldest living Tree, species, geological records indicate this plant has been growing on earth for 150-200 million years.” Said to improve impotency in men. (6,!). “Chinese Monks are credited with keeping the tree in existence, as a sacred herb. It is one of the most well researched herbs in the world”( 6.,1).
Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Food: Teas
Materials/Technology: None found.
Medicine:
Part Used: Extract dry leaves
Medicinal Actions: Improve sense of well being, and used for a variety of ailments.
Indications: For troubles in blood circulation and memory, prevent. For patience who have blood clotting, memory problems such as; early stages of Alzheimer’s, dementia.
“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 blood circulation and memory, prevent blood clotting, damage by free radicals and give an improved sense of well-being and can be used for many other disorders.” (1,2).
Body System Associations: Nervous system
Harvest: Fall season
Preparation: Making tea with leaves or extract or powdered pill form.
Applications: Drink as tea or extract.
Pharmacy: No more then 160mg daily
Personal Experience: My grandmother who had dementia was given Ginkgo biloba until put on other medications such as blood thinners and was taken off ginkgo. This was
Probably long after she had a severe case of Dementia and hardly knew who her family members were. I t is usually recommended for those in early stages of memory loss and doesn’t have much information about the effects on later stages. I was curios about this plant because of my experience with watching what seemed like my Grandma’s rapid memory loss. I was curios to find possible remedies or semi-prevention of the disease.
Medicine:
Part Used: Leaves made into an extract put into a gelatin pill.
Medicinal Actions: Enhanced Memory and blood circulation as well as mental clarity.
Indications: Memory loss, Support Alertness and short term memory .Blood clotting and bad circulation.
Body System Associations: Nervous system.
Constituents: ”Ginkgo biloba works as a antioxidant and contains glycosides and terpenes that can help maintain healthy blood flow to the brain to assist mental clarity and memory retention. Vinpocetine helps support brain function such as enhancing concentration and memory by activating cerebral metabolism.”(5.)
Experience: I took two pills a day for a week or so.
Pharmacy: one pill twice a day of 60mg.
Reason/Purpose See the effects if any on a regular individual. If it will perhaps give me mental clarity or improve my short-term memory.
Experience: I haven’t noticed any affects but I think I would have to give my self some real tests or examinations of brain functioning.
Cautions based on experience:(L refer to first and last caution.) Seems pretty harmless but like any other drug you should do your research and be careful!!!!!!
Other Notes of Interest: Ginkgo has been found to be so useful I would recommend it to any person with the indications shown
Cautions: Ginkgo should not be used with any sort of other blood thinner!!Should be discontinued 36 hrs and 14 days before surgery. Taking other herbal medication concurrently with Ginkgo may increase risk of bleeding.
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References Cited:
- Lerhnet, Paul , Healthwise, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1989, Boise, ID 83701.,Online visited Feb24,2006
- Davis, Jenine, Extension of horticultural Herbalist, north Carolina co.
- Harold G. Coffin, Geoscience Research Institute, online, last updated 1999, visited 3/04/06
- Mathews, F. Schuyler, Field book of American trees and shrubs: New York, London, G.P. Putnam’s sons . c.1915
- Leiner Health products, LLC, Carson, California 90745 U.S.A.
- Herbal information center, www.primary.net/~gic/herb/Ginko.htm, last visited 02/11/06
Jaimie Terada- Arts environment and the child - Fall Quarter - 2006
fallen leaves
Photos by Wei Gong
Image taken from this wonderful site- 3/04/06 -http://www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/thetree.htm http:/
BY Jaimie Terada
3/02/06-Drawn from images on the http://www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/thetree.htm http:/ site
