Spring Grove Ginkgo Tree - Leaf Drop and Gold Fall Show - November 2024

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Spring Grove Ginkgo - Leaf Drop

Walking out the backdoor, I found a bunch of these fan-shaped Ginkgo leaves laying on the stoop.  They're from the pair of Spring Grove Ginkgo trees (dwarf, Witches broom trees) that sit on either side of our back stoop and flank the entrance.  I originally had a pair of Rhododendrons in these spots - planted in 2018.  But, moved them out in 2023 doing a 'garden edit'.  

I caught this post on Instagram from Erin - the Impatient Gardener - where she posted some photos of her own dwarf Ginkgo - a Gnome Ginkgo - and included some info that...I sort of 'observed', but didn't know what was going on with Ginkgos.

Her post, embedded below, includes this line:  "Ginkgo trees develop these scars on all their leaves simultaneously, causing them to drop all at once when triggered by a hard frost."



"Blink and you'll miss it", she says.  That's the part that I sort-of 'observed', but never really thought about 'why' it was happening.  One day, you see a full gold Ginkgo.  The next, a full covering of gold leaves on the ground.  

That's what happened with our Spring Grove Ginkgos. Here, below, is the result of what are called "Petioles" - which are the leaf stalks on the tree - scar'ing over.

Spring Grove Ginkgo - Leaf Drop

I'm thinking of raking these up and using them to insulate the Floribunda roses - to keep the Walnut leaves out of the mix.  
Location: Downers Grove, IL, USA

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