Ginkgo tree planted at South Range

Staff report

NORTH LIMA

Seventh-graders at South Range Middle School planted a ginkgo tree, China’s National Tree, on the school campus.

The students wanted to plant the tree after learning in class about its history.

They learned that the ginkgo, also called the maidenhair tree, hasn’t changed in 200 million years. The tree is a living fossil with a link to the dinosaurs.

The students also learned that ginkgo nuts are used in traditional Chinese medicine, while in the West it is the extract from the leaves, ginkgo biloba, that are valued.

The extracts have been used to treat memory problems, vertigo, headaches and other ailments.

The tree is also known for its resilience to disease, insects and drought. It even survived the atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan.

When the bomb struck Japan on Aug. 6, 1945, six ginkgo trees survived the blast and still are alive today.

Ginkgo trees are native to China. They can grow to more than 100 feet tall and have fan-shaped leaves.