Graceful Ginkgo is a gentle spirit wholooks forward to Fall, when the wind carries ginkgo leaves through the air like gracefully flying birds. Ginkgo lives in a ginkgo forest in the legendary Zhongnan mountains of China, the birthplace of Taoism. Ginkgo wears a simple Chinese dress with a magical necklace inlaid with black and white mother of pearl in the shape of twin fish, creating a Yin Yang symbol. Ginkgo carries a magical wand that helps Graceful Ginkgo fly through the air and land softly.

Graceful Gingko watches the golden gingko leaves in the fall.

Graceful Ginkgo’s Family: Graceful Ginkgo is the last and only species in the Ginkgoaceae family. Ginkgo’s are large deciduous trees native to China. They are considered “living fossils” that thrived 270 million years ago, before the age of dinosaurs. The name ginkgo comes from the Chinese word yinxing, meaning “silver apricot.” Biloba refers to the “bi-lobed” shape of its leaves. Ginkgos can live to be 1000-2500 years old and grow to be 160 feet tall. In fall their leaves transition from bright green to saffron yellow, which they release in a sequence that creates a mystical golden-rainfall.

Growing Climate: Temperate Climates

Botanical Lineage:

Species: Ginkgo Biloba (Ginkgo Biloba)
Genus: Ginkgo (Ginkgo)
Family: Ginkgoaceae (Ginkgo family)

Ginkgos were cultivated as sacred trees that represent eternal life in China, Japan and other East Asian countries. Ginkgos were often planted near Taoist and Buddhist temples as symbols of Yin and Yang. Yin is the lack of sunlight (night) while yang is seen as sunlight (day). Yin and Yang exist in a continual state of harmony that balances the opposing forces of nature. Yin is seen as the feminine essence of earth and Yang as the masculine essence of sun. In Chinese and Japanese cultures ginkgo nuts are considered symbols of hope and longevity. Six ginkgo trees were planted in the 1850’s near a Japanese monastery in Hiroshima. All six survived the atomic bomb, which speaks to their tenacious yet graceful nature. They are living examples that inspire us to contemplate peace in the face of destruction.

New Book Coming Soon!

Title: Graceful Ginkgo – A Flying Adventure

Storyline: Graceful Gingko invites Tea Leaf and Bodhi to China for a fall flying adventure. They meet in the Zhongnan Mountains, on top of a sea of green trees and lush valleys. Graceful Gingko introduces Tea Leaf and Bodhi to two other Ginkgos named Golden Ginkgo and Giant Ginkgo, who will assist them on this flying adventure. Bodhi and Tea Leaf hop aboard as the cool wind blows and squeal with joy as they begin soaring in the air. They fly over a 1300-year old ginkgo tree at a Buddhist Temple and over the Yangtze River to the Yellow Mountains. The wind turns North and the Forest Friends fly through an avenue of ginkgos before going over the Great Wall of China. They practice loops as they fly toward terraced rice fields. A giant Panda waves to them from a misty mountain. They find themselves back where they started and float to the ground in a carpet of yellow ginkgo leaves.