Ginkgo Leaves Look Attractive, Are Used For Making Ginkgo Tea And Are Also Considered To Have Medicinal Values

Many different types of leaves, berries, and roots, are used in Chinese medicine, for making teas, or as flavoring in cooking, and these items include the ginkgo leaves. Chinese herbs and spices, each with its unique quality, have been used by the Chinese people for many generations. The Ginkgo leaves on offer near the Buddhist Temple, could be used for making tea, or become an item said to have medicinal qualities. The Ginkgo tree is one of the oldest conifer species on earth, and perhaps because it is also a tree having a long life, there may be a belief that by drinking the Ginkgo leaves tea, human life might be extended.

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*** Ginkgos are very large trees, normally reaching a height of 20 to 35 m (66 to 115 feet), with some specimens in China being over 50m (164 feet). The tree has an angular crown and long, somewhat erratic branches, and is usually deep rooted and resistant to wind and snow damage. Young trees are often tall and slender, and sparsely branched; the crown becomes broader as the tree ages. During autumn, the leaves turn a bright yellow, then fall, sometimes within a short space of time (1 to 15 days).

A combination of resistance to disease, insect-resistant wood and the ability to form aerial roots and sprouts makes ginkgos very long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old: One of the oldest Ginkgo trees is in Shanghai, within the Yuyuan Garden; it is four centuries old. A 3,000 year-old ginkgo has been reported in Shandong province in China. Src:Wikipedia.Org ***