Dating from prehistoric times, Ginkgo trees are symbols of survival and adaptability. Delicate looking, leathery fan-shaped leaves have seen the species through 200 million years of evolution while other species have died along the evolutionary trail.

The species continues to thrive in cities around the world despite adverse growing conditions. In general, they are tolerant of compacted soils acid or alkaline, and aren’t bothered much by air pollution, heat or cold, insects or diseases. Top performing grafted male (seedless) cultivars include:

Presidential Gold™ Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba ‘The President’) is outstanding in both the nursery row and in the landscape. A strong central leader and full branching at a young age give it great sales appeal as a young tree. As it matures, it develops a dense upright crown and a broadly pyramidal to oval shape. As is typical of Ginkgos, the medium green leaves of this seedless male selection turn bright yellow in the fall.

Autumn Gold® Ginkgo is named for the striking golden yellow color that that seems to appear overnight in the fall. Narrow in youth, it broadens with age to form a broadly pyramidal tree of about 45 feet in height with a spread of about 35 feet. Hardiness rating is USDA Zone 3.

Halka Ginkgo was selected by Halka Nurseries of New Jersey for its particularly good performance and growth habit. Slightly broader in shape than most cultivars, it is notable for uniform and symmetrical branching while maintaining a good central leader. It grows to an approximate height of 45 feet, and spread of 40 feet, and is hardy through USDA Zone 4.

Magyar Ginkgo is a reliable performer that features strong upright growth with a dominant central leader. Faster growing and with a slightly broader form than ‘Princeton Sentry,’ this narrow, upright cultivar has an excellent form for use as an urban street tree. Pyramidal in form, it grows to an approximate height of 50 feet and spread of 30 feet. Hardiness is USDA Zone 3.

Princeton Sentry® Ginkgo is a columnar selection that is often specified for narrow streetside plantings. Its stiffly upright branches form a narrowly pyramidal crown that reaches a height of about 40 feet and spread of about 15 feet. Hardiness is USDA Zone 4.