Columnar Ginkgo Tree
Ginkgo biloba 'Fastigiata'
Columnar Ginkgo Tree
Ginkgo biloba 'Fastigiata'
How are the heights measured?
All tree, and nothin' but the tree! We measure from the top of the soil to the top of the tree; the height of the container or the root system is never included in our measurements.
What is a gallon container?
Nursery containers come in a variety of different sizes, and old-school nursery slang has stuck. While the industry-standard terminology is to call the sizes "Gallon Containers", that doesn't exactly translate to the traditional liquid "gallon" size we think of. You'll find we carry young 1-gallons, up to more mature 7-gallons ranging anywhere from 6 inches to 6ft.
How does the delivery process work?
All of our orders ship via FedEx Ground! Once your order is placed online, our magic elves get right to work picking, staging, boxing and shipping your trees. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. You will receive email notifications along the way on the progress of your order, as well as tracking information to track your plants all the way to their new home!
Why are some states excluded from shipping?
The short & sweet answer is: "United States Department of Agriculture Restrictions." Every state has their own unique USDA restrictions on which plants they allow to come into their state. While we wish we could serve everyone, it's for the safety of native species and helps prevent the spread of invasive disease & pests. We've gotta protect good ole' Mother Nature, after all.
About Me
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The Columnar Ginkgo Tree is a slender, upright tree that can reach 50 feet tall, but remain not much more than 10 feet wide, with a narrow, flame-shaped crown. Attractive all year round, it has unique fan-shaped green leaves that turn glowing butter-yellow in fall, and a unique winter profile that is always striking. Its narrow form makes it ideal for specimens in smaller gardens, or as a row along a driveway or boundary. It fits into corners and can be planted close to buildings. It also grows well in planters and even as a bonsai tree.
- Tall, slender tree with handsome foliage
- Green leaves turn butter-yellow in fall
- Perfect lawn tree for small gardens
- Tough and durable under difficult conditions
- Free of pest, diseases or growing problems
Full sun or partial shade are ideal for the Columnar Ginkgo Tree to thrive. It grows in any type of soil, including poor soils and urban landscapes, if they are well-drained. It has no pests or diseases and succeeds where other trees fail. It needs no trimming to stay narrow, but when young one central shoot should be retained, to keep a single trunk on your tree.
- Plant Hardiness Zones 4-8
- Mature Width 10-15
- Mature Height 40-60
- Sun Needs Full Sun, Partial Sun
As our gardens get smaller, there is a greater need for care when planting trees, so they won’t become too large for the space available. Luckily there are often slender selections available of many of the most popular trees. If you love fall color, and want it on a tough, easy-to-grow tree that survives even in difficult urban conditions, then look no further than the Columnar Ginkgo Tree, whose narrow profile creates a beautiful slender tree that fits into small spaces, or makes a graceful accent in larger ones. When its unique leaves turn butter gold you will be glad you chose this tree, and you will as well when neighbors struggle with pests and diseases, while your tree is untroubled.
The Columnar Ginkgo Tree is a full-sized ginkgo tree, that will in time grow to perhaps 50 feet tall. However, it always stays slender, and a mature tree is no more than 15 feet wide, and often less. It can be planted within 6 feet of a boundary or building, and never intrude or become a hazard. To develop the narrowest and most striking profile, prune as necessary to keep a single top shoot – a leader – so that the tree develops a single central trunk. No other trimming is needed. The branches rise sharply upwards, making a narrow, flame-shaped crown on a trunk that can be raised to any height you need, or left to grow low and close to the ground. The bark of this tree is pale brown to soft gray, with a rough, ridged texture, and it is rugged and attractive. The trunk and branches create a striking winter feature. The stems develop many short side-shoots, that carry the leaves, so branches remain leafy all along their length, not just at the tips, giving a dense and full crown.
The leaves of the Columnar Ginkgo Tree are unique among all shade trees. They are 2 to 4 inches long, and fan-shaped, with smooth sides. The end of the leaf is lobed and irregular, and the veins are parallel and branching, radiating upwards along all the leaf surface, without the strong central vein and smaller side veins seen on all other deciduous trees. They are dense and firm, but smooth to the touch, and a beautiful light, glowing green color in spring and summer. The leaves stay green into fall, and then colder weather turns them a glowing golden tone, uniform along the whole crown of the tree. This butter-yellow column glows and radiates sunlight, and has a glorious look to it. Mixed with other fall trees, or growing alone, it makes a powerful impact at that time of year. This tree has inconspicuous flowers in spring, and no fruit is produced, since it is a male tree.
Grow the Columnar Ginkgo Tree as a striking specimen on a small lawn, or in a group of 3 or 5 on a larger lawn for a wonderful effect. Its narrow profile makes it the perfect choice for a small urban garden or in a courtyard, and this tree is very durable in tough urban conditions. Grow it in the corners of beds, or as a row along a driveway or boundary. Planted as a hedge it can be trimmed to maintain a lower form, and it makes a unique and interesting hedge or screen. It can also be grown for years in planters and pots, where it gives height and privacy without taking up room. Don’t be disappointed or alarmed if you tree doesn’t grow much for the first couple of seasons. It takes a little time to establish, but once it does it will grow 12 to 18 inches a year, and soon become a handsome specimen.
Plant your Columnar Ginkgo Tree in full sun or light partial shade – it will tolerate a few hours of shade each day. This reliable tree is known for its ability to grow in almost any kind of soil, including heavy clays and urban soils. Avoid wet soils but keep trees with an adequate supply of water when they are young, to produce good growth. Established trees are drought tolerant. Some tree fertilizer will also help your tree grow more rapidly. This tree has no pests or diseases and it is very reliable, growing to a great age and becoming more and more beautiful. Trimming is not required to maintain its slender shape.
The Columnar Ginkgo Tree is a selected form of Ginkgo biloba. This tree is sometimes called the maidenhair tree because the leaves resemble the leaflets of the maidenhair fern. It is often called a ‘living fossil’ because it is the last member of a primitive group of trees, around with the dinosaurs, that were once common and widespread on the earth. This tree survived because Chinese monks grew it in their temple gardens, and it has never reliably been found growing wild. It has been grown in Europe for over 300 years, and its ability to thrive in urban conditions, where many other types of tree fail, has made it a popular tree around the world. The variety called ‘Fastigiata’ is really a collection of forms, all with narrow, upright branches, that has occurred several times among seedlings, and been propagated by grafting. This is how our trees are created, so you know they will keep their desirable narrow form. This popular tree is always in high demand, so order yours now, while our stock remains available.