Ginkgo: Ancient Tree of Longevity

Ginkgo's reputation as a memory tonic is fading, but it still has many other benefits

No other plant alive today has a leaf like a ginkgo tree. toto8888/iStock

Few plants have as fascinating or as long a history as the ginkgo tree.

Ginkgo is old. Really old. It comes from the time of the dinosaurs, and has unique features unlike any plant alive today. Botanists consider it a “living fossil.”