On the medical front, ginkgo biloba supplements have been commercially available for many years. In general, these supplements, derived from ginkgo leaf extracts, are marketed as pharmaceutical memory enhancements. The effectiveness of ginkgo supplements is controversial and clinical studies are ongoing to determine their effectiveness. Ginkgo trees also have culinary value. Seed kernals of the female ginkgo tree are commonly served in China and Japan.
There’s just one problem. The seed coat of ginkgo tree fruit, which contains butyric acid, a chemical found in vomit, emits a rancid vomit-like odor if the fruit is left to rot. This tree has earned its nickname - the vomit tree. It is possible to manage the smell. Just clean and dispose of any fallen ginkgo fruit as soon as possible. Ginkgo fruit will not smell unless it is given the opportunity to rot. Aside from being smelly, the fruit of ginkgo trees is slippery and can present a slip and fall hazard to pedestrians.
If only female trees produce fruit why not not just plant male trees? Ginkgo trees are gender-specific plants. Only female trees produce stinky berries. Unless the tree is one of the all-male cultivars of ginkgo trees, the only accurate way to distinguish male and female species of the common gingko is to examine the fruit of the mature tree. Until maturity male and female plants are indistinguishable from one another. Ginkgo trees can take more than 20 years to reach maturity. But I did say there were all male cultivars. The following cultivars consist entirely of male plants: Autumn Gold, Lakeview, Princeton, Sentry and Fastigiata. Grafting portions of confirmed male with a seedling rootstock is a possible alternative for preventing future smell.
It’s probably obvious - I like ginkgo trees, just be careful when you go to purchase one, gender matters.
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