How do I tell whether a Ginkgo biloba seedling is male or female?

Question

I have germinated some Ginkgo biloba from seed. How do I differentiate between male and female Ginkgo seedlings? I would like to keep an equal number of male and female seedlings, so I need know which seedlings are male and which are female. Is there a way to know without waiting decades for the plants to mature?

Answer 1

You can tell the sex of a ginkgo only when it flowers (the female flower has a single pistil) or when it fruits. There are also apparently rare cases where a male tree has put out a female branch or two, that then flowers and produces fruit. Surprise!

I've occasionally wondered which dinosaur loved the smell of that fruit...