How do you tell whether a ginkgo is a male or female?

Tree TopicsYoung flowers of a female ginkgo.

Q: I have a female ginkgo tree and my (lucky) next-door neighbor has two males. A new ginkgo has self-planted itself in a nice spot in the front yard. Is there any way to tell at this tender age whether it's a male or female tree? I really don't want another female.

A: Yeah, those females are smelly, aren't they? That's why nurseries sell only male ginkgo trees. They don't produce the apricot-looking "fruits" that smell to me like vomit.

You'll be able to tell if the baby is male or female by looking at the buds and leaves as they first start opening in spring.

Tree TopicsDeveloping cones on a male ginkgo.

Ginkgo is technically a conifer, and the male part looks like a tiny cone right off the bat. Females send up slender green shoots along with the new leaves. They eventually produce rounded pods that look like fruits but are actually seeds.

Here's a link to the Tree Topics web site that has good enlarged photos of both male and female parts:

.