Two hundred million years ago, Ginkgo plants were growing everywhere in Eurasia, which was the oldest tree species in the world. Later, more than 2 million years ago, Quaternary glaciers appeared, and most areas of Ginkgo biloba were destroyed, leaving behind plant fossils printed on stones. In this catastrophe, only China has preserved some living ginkgo trees, which has always been a living teaching material for studying ancient ginkgo. Therefore, Ginkgo biloba is the oldest relict plant in the world, and people call it "the first living fossil in the world".
China is the first country in the world to cultivate ginkgo artificially. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Chen Jingyi wrote the book "All Fragrances are Ancestors" from 65438 to 0265 AD, and there was a record about Ginkgo biloba, which was earlier than other countries in the world. Ginkgo biloba is a rare long-lived tree. There are ancient ginkgo trees in many places in China, especially around some ancient temples, and you can often see hundreds of years and thousands of years old trees. Like the famous Huanglong Sambo Tree in Huanglong Temple of Lushan Mountain, there is a ginkgo tree with a diameter of nearly 2 meters. Ginkgo biloba in Tantuo Temple is over 1000 years old. The longest-lived ginkgo in the world should also be the big ginkgo in Ding Lin Temple, Juxian County, Shandong Province, China. The height of the tree is 24.7m, the bust15.7m and the crown is 200m2. It is said that it was planted in Shang Dynasty, and natural ginkgo forest can be found so far, which proves that China is the hometown of ginkgo.
Ginkgo tree was introduced to Europe and America more than 200 years ago, and many famous botanical gardens are proud of being able to plant Ginkgo biloba, the world's first living fossil.
Ginkgo biloba is the only surviving gymnosperm in Ginkgo biloba, which is dioecious. According to the characteristics of branches, leaves and fan-shaped veins, Ginkgo biloba is different from other relatively evolved gymnosperms and is the oldest genus of existing seed plants. When the seeds are ripe, they are orange like apricots, with thick exocarp and white and hard mesocarp, so they are also called "Ginkgo biloba". Ginkgo seed kernel can be used as medicine, which has the effects of moistening lung, relieving cough and strengthening body. Its branches and leaves contain insect-resistant toxins, which can prevent insects from eating, so someone put a ginkgo leaf in the book to drive away bookworms. Ginkgo biloba leaves also contain a chemical called ginkgo flavone, which can lower cholesterol, improve cerebrovascular blood circulation, and prevent cerebral arteriosclerosis and thrombosis. Therefore, Ginkgo biloba extract is a new family of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health care drugs in the world, especially in the European and American markets.