An autumn review of Shoyoen, Dubbo Regional Botanic Garden would not be complete without spending a moment or two losing oneself in the saffron yellow autumnal glow of the iconic Ginkgo biloba. Science, history, Asian culture and art all commend this beautiful unusual tree.
Ginkgo biloba is native to China and the last surviving species of the Ginkgo genus. Its cousins once thrived all over the globe including locations near Dubbo.
It is an ancient species having changed relatively little in the last 270 million years and may have even been nibbled by dinosaurs.
Its delicate fan shaped, bi-lobed leaves, characterised by radiating veins are unique amongst seed bearing plants and have inspired many poems. One such famous poem was written by the German scientist, poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and simply called “Ginkgo biloba”. Goethe dedicated the philosophical poem to Marianne von Willemer, his former lover.
The leaves are also frequently represented in Chinese and Japanese art, ceramics, textiles, family crests, symbols and logos. The tree is the national tree of China, and the official tree of the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The symbol of the Tokyo prefecture is a ginkgo leaf.
The ginkgo leaf is also the symbol of the Urasenke school of the Japanese tea ceremony.
The Ginkgo biloba has been cultivated for centuries for medicinal and culinary use. The nut-like gametophytes inside the seeds are particularly esteemed in Asia, and are a traditional Chinese food.
The Japanese add ginkgo seeds (called ginnan) to dishes such as chawanmushi, and the cooked seeds are often eaten along with other dishes.
To see the magnificent Ginkgo biloba in all its golden glory before it drops its leaves, do not delay your visit to Shoyoen, Dubbo Regional Botanic Garden.
By Ian McAlister & Karen Hagan