Maidenhair Tree

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score

7

Native Status

❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON

Rarity Notes

Ginkgo biloba is globally ranked G1 (Critically Imperiled) by NatureServe due to its extremely restricted natural range in China. It is not native to North America and has no SARA listing. In Canada it is exclusively cultivated; VASCAN does not include it. NatureServe assigns NNA (Not Applicable) for the US national rank.

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Rarity Ranks

QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON SNA – Not Applicable

Ecological Context

Ginkgo biloba is a Mesozoic relict gymnosperm, the sole surviving member of its family. Native to a tiny area of eastern China (Guizhou and the Anhui/Zhejiang border), it grows naturally in broad-leaved forests on acidic, well-drained yellow loess at 300-1100 m elevation. Widely cultivated worldwide as an ornamental and street tree for over 3000 years, it is not part of any North American plant community. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it occurs only as a planted specimen.

S6 S29 S1

Medicinal Properties

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Category

Antiasthmatic, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Astringent, Expectorant, Sedative, Tonic, Vermifuge

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Notes

Leaves stimulate blood circulation and have a tonic effect on the brain, improving memory, reducing lethargy, and treating peripheral arterial insufficiency and tinnitus. Ginkgolides, unique to this species, inhibit allergic responses and treat asthma. Cooked seeds are antitussive, astringent, and sedative, used for asthma, coughs with thick phlegm, and urinary incontinence. Traditional Chinese medicine has used this species for millennia. Listed in Health Canada NHPID as a homeopathic substance.

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Edibility & Foraging

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✅ Edible    ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes

Seeds are the primary edible part, with a soft, oily texture and sweet flavour compared to pine nuts. They must be cooked before eating to destroy the mildly acrimonious compound 4'-methoxypyridoxine, which can deplete vitamin B6. Seeds are boiled, baked, or added to soups and porridges. Baked seeds taste like a cross between potatoes and sweet chestnuts. Nutritionally rich in starch, protein, and niacin, but low in fats (mostly unsaturated). An edible oil is also obtained from the seed. Raw seeds in quantity are toxic, especially to children.

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Toxicity

⚠️ Moderate Toxicity

USDA lists toxicity as None and Cornell does not include this species. However, raw seeds contain 4'-methoxypyridoxine (ginkgotoxin), which depletes vitamin B6 and is more toxic to children; repeated ingestion of raw seeds can cause 'gin-man' food poisoning. The fleshy sarcotesta of female fruit contains urushiol-related compounds that can cause contact dermatitis similar to poison ivy. Seeds should always be cooked before consumption.

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