#the stf insects got me Again

[sparklingsora]

weeee cedric weeheeeeeeeeeeeeee

[ginkgomoon]

Finding a Real Life Ginkgo Tree

“Life was a ginkgo tree and it bent right to your wind.”

This February, the ginkgo tree was named “Plant of the Month” by the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia. I’ve wanted to visit one ever since and today I finally had the opportunity!

Let’s go ginkgo tree hunting with me!

Royal Botanical Gardens’ Ginkgo Information

Common Name: Maiden Hair Tree

Scientific Name: Ginkgo biloba L.

Family: Ginkgoaceae

My Understanding: Gavin’s Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba, sometimes referred to as a ‘living fossil’, is the only surviving member of an ancient order (Ginkgoales) of seed bearing plants around 270 million years old. Individual trees and populations of trees are renowned and revered for their longevity. They have been cultivated for thousands of years in China and many examples of planted and wild trees thought to be over one thousand years old exist, including a penjing (bonsai) specimen said to be 1,300 years old. Plants were brought to Japan with Buddhism in the 6th CE and the oldest specimen in Europe, planted in Utrecht Botanic Gardens in 1730 still survives as does the specimen at Kew Garden planted in 1762. Their longevity is due in part to their resistance to insect attack and ability to regrow vegetatively.

Description Tall, usually broad domed deciduous tree to 40 m. Unique fan shaped (bilobed) leaves that resemble the leaves of the maidenhair fern. Trees are prized for their autumn foliage when leaves turn a beautiful butter yellow.

Distribution Two small areas in Zhejiang province in eastern China, in the Tianmushan Reserve. Populations in the Dalou Mountains, southwestern China may also be natural populations.

Such beautiful weather today. I had to catch a train to the City area where our landmarks and the gardens were!

And there’s our famous Sydney Harbour Bridge!

It’s Autumn now, and that’s when the ginkgo leaves start to turn yellow. It was previously green in the Summer, so I had to wait a while for this season. 

The Royal Botanical Gardens is just right behind the Opera House! That’s where we will find our ginkgo trees. And plus, the sky and clouds are amazing here.

After I entered, I walked around for three hours trying to find ONE ginkgo tree. There were several in the area and I GOT LOST. 

I had to go Bed 32 but I ended up from Bed 53 to Bed 112? Like what?

But finally in the end, I had made it, and there stood the tree in all its glory. 

It wasn’t what I expected. I thought I was getting a one-on-one bonding moment with the tree but I ended up having it with mosquitos and spiders in the area. 

Most of the tree was still green, but a smaller section had luckily turned just in time for me to pick some out. Most had fallen on the floor or in other surrounding bed areas. 

I was still so happy though, because seeing a ginkgo tree in real life had unknowingly become one of my life goals. 

People in the area where looking at me weirdly like, “why was this girl smiling and jumping around at a tree?” 

BUT I DON’T CARE LOL.

SO BEAUTIFUL. 

Most were out of my reach, unfortunately.

How the heck does Gavin manage to jump onto a ginkgo tree like damn, they’re so tall. 

But then again, he jumped out a window to get on the tree so...

RARE SIGHTING OF GAVIN IN HIS STF UNIFORM NEAR A GINKGO TREE?!!

Jokes, it’s just me in my Gavin outfit. 

YES, THIS IS HOW SERIOUS I AM. 

Took a “selfie”. 

That’s it! I had to say goodbye to the tree :(

Unfortunately, I had no time to look for others in the rest of the gardens. Maybe next time, I can look for a camphor tree for all the Lucien stans! And a rose bush for Victor. And maybe a daisy patch for Kiro?

I came back with two mosquito bites and survived an eating attempt from the spiders. Glad to know that Gavin isn’t afraid of spiders or mosquitos. (LIKE, THEY WERE AS BIG AS THE ONES IN CHINA. But it was a super hot day, so of course, they had to come to feast.) 

However, I did manage to find some beautiful stray ginkgo leaves! I can’t post a photo otherwise I’d go over my photo limit but I’ll post them later, haha. 

Overall, it was such a cool experience, seeing how this tree that came all the way from China is growing so well in here. I hope to visit the tree again soon!