Show us your variegated Gingkos

As most of you know, I'm a ginkgo freak and would love to see some of your variegated forms. Here are a few of mine....

1st one: 'sunstream'

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'majestic butterfly'

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'white lightening. A new baby....

Hi Dybbuk--thanks for the update on how the young ones are coming along. They are really cool and I'm grateful for the photos. 'magestic butterfly' is beautiful and I love the variegated leaves--you could almost claim that like snowflakes--no two are alike.

yeah, i'm a nerd. i look at every leaf and appreciate the differences. i'm excited for 'white lightening' to mature. it's a sport from 'majestic butterfly' but with cream variegation instead of yellow. supposedly more stable too.

I recently ordered a 'Summer Rainbow'. I don't have it yet but I'll post pictures when it arrives.

I like them also. I plan to start collecting some next year.

I work across the street from an institutional grouping of mature ginkgos planted to provide cover for a parking facility, and collected some seeds last fall--and could still pick some up--as they are still on the ground around the tree. Only one female in the group and someone missed their chance to cull the herd. I have tried starting the trees from seed but nothing happened and in truth I think I'd prefer to make a purchase--rather than run the risk of coming up with a female tree after years of nurture and care. In the little reading I've done on ginkgos, I understand that only female trees have a putrid smell. I was skeptical--but--indeed they are rancid awful smelly things -- but in a funny novel sort of way--I like the idea of a stinky tree. You could ask a boss you don't like or a boyfriend who's a jerk to meet you under that tree before you go for coffee--sisters unite.

ecrane, i'll be interested to see your 'summer rainbow'. i have some difficulty with it as the variegation yellows and browns quite a bit. i have had it in sun and shade but to no avail. one awesome thing about it is it's knobby growth. holds winter interest as well as summer. did you order it from songsparrow?

No, I got it from Gossler Farms. It actually arrived tonight--the UPS guy had come while I was outside with the dogs and I didn't realize it until an hour later when I was out on the front porch. I'll upload pics this weekend. I'll also keep you posted on how the variegation holds up--I was planning on keeping it potted in a morning sun/PM shade area along with my Japanese maples to see how it does. Our summers alternate between being 80 degrees and 100 degrees (rarely anything in between), and I was afraid the 100 degree days would fry it if it has too much sun.

In case the variegation doesn't hold up well--are there other variegated ones that you've found do better? I forget now why I chose this one over the other variegated varieties--I think I read somewhere that the variegation was more stable which apparently may not be true.

My 'sunstream' is remarkably stable and vigorous. It's about 8' tall now and consistently 98% variegated. I've had some issues with 'majestic butterfly' throwing a couple green branches. A new one for me, 'beijing gold' is very interesting as it breaks yellow and then leaves turn dark green with a white "blush". 'california sunset' is stunning. From a sport of 'saratoga'. I've seen pictures of one to be introduced next year as 'anny's zebra'. Very cool. There are rumours of a weeping variegated cultivar on the horizon. I'm on the edge of my seat.

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How hardy are these variegated Gingkos? I'm in zone 4B and woudl love to try some out.

I'd imagine they're as hardy as the standard ginkgo.

This message was edited Jun 9, 2010 8:22 PM

My 'Majestic Butterflies' is struggling. It died back a bit this winter, too. It certainly does not look as good as dybbuk's. I may need to protect is more next winter. Ginkgoes are not really hardy here in zone 4a until they reach about 5' tall.
Mike