Ginkgo

About Ginkgo in Alberta

Ginkgo is an introduced ornamental tree in Alberta, instantly recognizable by its fan-shaped leaves, vivid yellow fall colour, and distinctive spur shoots. It is not a wild Alberta species, but it is a real curated urban planting tree with documented Edmonton campus presence and strong tolerance of difficult city conditions. For ARA, notable ginkgo records are most likely mature campus, park, institutional, commemorative, or urban specimens that show long-term survival and planting-history value.

Identification: Leaves are simple, fan-shaped, often notched at the tip, and marked by distinctive dichotomous veins that appear to radiate through the blade. When leaves are present, ginkgo has few serious Alberta look-alikes.

Alberta range and habitat: Ginkgo has no wild native Alberta distribution. It should be treated as planted and introduced.