Ginkgo care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) wants full sun and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Ginkgo biloba |
|---|---|
| family | Ginkgoaceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| mature height cm | 2500 |
| min zone | 3 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Ginkgo?
Plant male cultivars — female fruit stinks.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is medium. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 40 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 65 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.2. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 150 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is low. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -23°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 80.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 35 feet. Its roots go down at least 35 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is yellow-green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: yes. The fruit or seed is yellow. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02