I should be back on the trail by the time this posts, but I had to show you this tree. As I was coming around a bend in the road (most of this hike is on back roads), I saw this huge tree. I looked at the shape and said "What is that?"
I got a little closer and realized that it is a ginko! I've never seen such a large ginko! This is botanically a very primitive tree... around when the dinosaurs roamed. The leaf shape is so simple and elegant it is often used for decorating or jewelry.
Here is the bark pattern. Totally new to me because the only ones I've ever seen were small enough that the bark was still smooth.
Here is the pattern of the spreading branches. It's an amazing tree! So I looked on line to find out the champion Ohio ginko, and this one isn't even close to being a record holder. Who knew! This one was maybe 3 feet dbh (that is diameter at breast height- how trees are measured). The Ohio ginko Big Tree is 6.4 feet dbh! It's near Sandusky. This tree is near Williamsburg.
I've included a link to a picture of the biggest ginko in Ohio.
See the biggest ginko in Ohio
See Ohio Big Trees
4 comments:
whoa! what a great find you have there! thanks for sharing, i love looking at it's simple yet elegant leaves!
I don't remember ever hearing of a ginko tree before. Are they native to that part of the country?
I have put Ginko tree in my library.
That's a nice discovery. It may not be a record, but it is for you and for all of us. Discovering new things is what it's all about.
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