The Ginkgo is a unique tree with no close living relatives and can be considered a living fossil. For centuries it was thought to be extinct in the wild, but is now known to grow wild in at least two small areas of China.
Ginkgos are medium-large deciduous trees, reaching 20–35 m tall with an often angular crown and long, somewhat erratic branches. They are usually deep rooted and resistant to wind and snow damage. Young trees are often tall and slender, and sparsely branched; the crown becomes broader as the tree ages. During autumn, the leaves turn a bright yellow. Ginkgos are very long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.
The leaves are unique among seed plants, being fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade, to 15 cm) long. The old popular name "Maidenhair tree" is because the leaves resemble some of the pinnae of the Maidenhair fern Adiantum capillus-veneris.
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