Ginkgo trees come in male and female varieties. It might be a challenge to decide whether to grow a male or female ginko, because while the seeds of female ginkgo trees smell like rotten butter, the male ginkgo trees produce pollen that is very allergenic. People are likely to have allergies to ginkgo pollen.
Ginkgo are very resilient trees. They are resistant to disease, pollution, wind and insects, and the more mature specimens are drought resistant. Mature ginkgo trees have deep root systems to gather water, and some of their branches grow drought-resistant leaves. Their wood is hard and durable, making them resistant to insects and great for making chopping boards, game boards and other wooden items.
In the wild, and like other trees, ginkgos are threatened chiefly by deforestation. There may even come a point where ginkgo trees only exist among people and in more urban areas. This would reduce the biodiversity of East Asian forests, possibly making such forests more susceptible to diseases, insect infestations or fires.
