Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Trees

Ginkgo biloba 'Obelisk'

A medium to large, slow-growing deciduous tree to around 4m in height, with an upright, columnar habit. Fan-shaped leaves emerge pale green in spring, turning darker green in the summer then golden in the autumn. Green flowers appear in April, but as this is a male cultivar, it will not produce fruit. Makes an attractive addition to smaller gardens and patios where space is at a premium

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ginkgoaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Seeds harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Seed TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Ginkgo are large deciduous trees, developing an irregular, spreading crown with age, fan-shaped, 2-lobed leaves, and on female trees, unpleasantly scented yellow fruits each containing a single large seed
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Tolerant of atmospheric pollution. Makes a good specimen tree. See tree cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required but pruning group 1 if necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.