Ginkgo biloba

Remarkable Parisian tree: Arbre aux quarante écus (Ginkgo biloba), Parc Montsouris, Circumference: 330 cm, Height: 20 m, Planted in 1935.
Planted near the lake, the imposing Ginkgo biloba is classified among the remarkable trees of the park (for its size and its imprint on the landscape). It can be recognised by its green fan-shaped leaves. It is covered with a greyish-brown bark, smooth in its young years, then cracked with time. Female trees can be recognised in autumn by the foul smell of their fruits. The fruits, similar to small mirabelles, are in fact very large seeds. Originally from China, it is very hardy and long-lived in the wild and adapts very well to the difficult conditions of cities. Male specimens are increasingly being planted as avenue trees. Here, this specimen is the favourite of the Montsouris gardeners because of its height (27 metres).
It is also one of the few species to have survived the explosion of the atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima on 6 August 1944. Since June 1989, it has been the official symbol of the city of Tokyo in Japan as a sign of growth, prosperity, charm and tranquillity.