Choose ginkgo by form first: a shade tree, a narrow street form, or a dwarf. Buy a named male in every group.
Choose a shade tree, a narrow street form, or a dwarf first
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Shade tree | Autumn Gold or Saratoga for a lawn or park | A seed-grown species tree of unknown sex |
| Narrow street | Princeton Sentry, Fairmont, or Sky Tower for a tight strip | Treating Sky Tower as a three-foot dwarf |
| Dwarf | Mariken, Chi Chi, or Jade Butterflies for a small yard or pot | A shade giant under a wire |
| Sex | A named, grafted male in every group | Waiting decades for a seedling to flower |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of ginkgo that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the cultivar on the tag. Ginkgos share full sun and drain; they do not share one mature size. [1] [2] Autumn Gold is a shade tree. Princeton Sentry is a narrow street form. Mariken is a dwarf mound. [3] [4] Once you know the form, site it on How to Grow Ginkgo.
Which kind of ginkgo should I plant?
Start with a named male. Then pick a shade tree, a narrow street form, or a dwarf from the mature size on the tag.
Is Princeton Sentry a dwarf?
No. Princeton Sentry is a tall, narrow male for streets and tight side yards. Mariken is the dwarf mound.
Browse by kind
Shade and landscape trees
Autumn Gold is the usual male shade tree — broadly conical, about fifty by thirty feet, with reliable gold. Saratoga is a similar landscape male with a pyramidal outline. maidenhair tree is the species card; if it was grown from seed, sex is unknown for decades.
Narrow street forms
Princeton Sentry is the usual narrow street male, tall with a tight spread. Fairmont is the dense Philadelphia column. Sky Tower stays narrower still, about fifteen to twenty feet tall — compact, not a dwarf mound.
Dwarf and compact forms
Mariken is a low male mound, a few feet in ten years. Chi Chi is a congested compact. Jade Butterflies is a small tree with split leaves; Majestic Butterfly is its variegated sport and wants afternoon shade. Troll, Peve Maribo, Tubifolia, and Horizontalis stay in this small-yard class.
Culture stays the same sun and drain. Pick by mature size and outline, not by a shop list of extra names. Magyar, Golden Globe, and Halka are other male selections sold elsewhere.
If the tag says only ginkgo, read the cultivar before you buy — Autumn Gold is not Mariken.
FAQ
Is the species tree a male?
Only if the nursery grafted it from a known male. A seed-grown Ginkgo biloba can be female. Buy a named cultivar if you need a fruitless tree.
Is Fairmont the same as Fairmount?
Yes — the same narrow Philadelphia male. Tags spell it both ways. It is a column, not a dwarf.
Are Magyar and Golden Globe sold here?
No. Those are other named males sold elsewhere. Autumn Gold, Princeton Sentry, and Mariken stand in for the three forms.
Related guides
References
- [1] Clemson Cooperative Extension -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/ginkgo-maidenhair-tree-care-growing-guide/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ginkgo-biloba/ - [3] The Morton Arboretum -
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/ginkgo/ - [4] Oregon State University -
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/ginkgo-biloba
This note is part of Ginkgo Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors