Ginkgo Biloba, the ''Ultimate Survivor''

For centuries, Ginkgo biloba was thought extinct in the wild until found growing in two small areas in Eastern China. Chinese monks may have planted the trees. Tian Mu Shan Nature Reserve, pictured, has the oldest ginkgo collection, many with more than one trunk (yes, this is one tree). Biologist Dr. Peter Del Tredici (center) says the tree keeps buds waiting underground to sprout if the tree begins to fail. The trees can spread rhizomes over rocks and put down roots as soon as it feels soil. The ginkgo can grow 80 to 100 feet, with a trunk 12 feet in diameter.

The good people at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois told LASN Dr. Peter Del Tredici, the director of living collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, in Jamaica Plain, Mass., would be at the Morton Sunday, February 8, from 1-3 p.m. to do a show and tell on ginkgos titled the ''Ultimate Survivor''

While we let people know about the event on landscapearchitect.com, we wanted to share one of Dr. Del Tredici photos from his China visit and some of his expertise.

Dr. Del Tredici is a biologist who wrote his dissertation on the ginkgo and has visited the ancient ginkgo trees in the Tian Mu Shan Nature Reserve in China, home to ginkgos as old as 3,000 years, about the time the Latins came to Italy from the Danube region.

A 70-million year old fossil of G. adiantoides found in China, he says, is similar to G. biloba, the only extent ginkgo species, a favorite street tree in many cities because of its tolerance to drought, pests and a host of stressful urban conditions. For perspective, our fascinating friend, Tyrannosaurus Rex, was stomping about looking for his next meal during the Creataceous, 68 to 65 million years ago. But that?EUR??,,????'?????<