Bringing China To Your Landscape

Part One
by Ronald E. Rothhaas Jr.
The Arbor Doctor

NOTE: This article was originally written for the local Families With Children From China newsletter.

As we look for opportunities to bring Chinese culture and heritage into the lives of our children, many do not realize that such opportunities may be as close as our own yards. A wide variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants native to China thrive in the Cincinnati area and are commonly used in landscaping.

Many of us may be familiar with some of these plants but may not know their Chinese roots. From the ancient ginkgo to Chinese astilbe, trident maple, and golden raintree, there are trees, shrubs, and perennials from China for any garden and any size yard..

The exciting thing about Chinese trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials is that they provide a living, growing link to the country of China. Many families plant a tree to celebrate a major life milestone such as a birth, an adoption, or a marriage. What an exciting idea to celebrate the adoption of a child from China by planting a tree variety which also originated in China. It is a living link to our child’s country of origin which, like them, will grow and develop in this country. Additionally, it is fun and educational to watch a tree leaf out and grow in the spring and summer then go into dormancy in the fall. Trees provide an open door to learning about the geography, climate, and horticulture of China. Talk with you child about where such a tree may grow in the wild.

Chinese trees do well in Cincinnati because China is in the eastern part of the Asian continent just as Cincinnati is in the eastern part of the North American continent. In both cases air masses which generally travel west to east in mid-latitudes are not modified by ocean temperatures. Therefore winter temperatures are relatively cold and summer temperatures are hot in large parts of China just as in Cincinnati. In fact, average temperatures in Beijing are slightly colder than Cincinnati in the winter and slightly warmer in the summer. Plants must adapt to these extremes. Plants which have adapted to grow in such extremes in Asia do well in similar parts of the United States.

One of the most familiar of Chinese trees is the ginkgo biloba. Many of us are familiar with ginkgo because it is a commonly advertised herbal remedy. However, the ginkgo is widely as a shade tree in Cincinnati. The Ginkgo hasn't been found growing in the wild but it has been preserved as a sacred tree in Chinese temple gardens since ancient times. The ginkgo tree is also called the maidenhair tree because its leaves closely resemble those of the maidenhair fern.

The ginkgo tree was discovered in China in 1690 by Kaempfer who wrote the first scientific description of this tree. He suggested the ginkgo name. This name is derived from the Chinese YIN , silver, and HING , apricot, in reference to the appearance of the fruit. Ginkgo trees grow well in the city, being able to tolerate city dust and pollution.

Ginkgo leaves are some of the most distinctive of any tree. They are fan shaped and turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. Ginkgos are relatively slow growers but can ultimately attain a massive size. Therefore, discretion must be exercised when deciding where to plant a ginkgo. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. Only females bear fruit. This is an important point. While ginkgo fruits are considered to be a delicacy in China, they are a mess if the tree is growing anywhere near a house or pavement.

The Cincinnati Enquirer once accurately described the odor emitted from a ginkgo seed to be similar to a combination of “dog dirt and vomit.” Therefore ginkgos sold in nurseries are generally males propagated from cuttings. Never plant a ginkgo grown from seed as it is impossible to determine whether it is male or female until it is about 30 years old. If you must have a female ginkgo for the seeds plant it way out back somewhere!

Ginkgos are available at many local nurseries. In the future I plan to write about other plants which are available for local use. If you have any questions, you may reach me at http://www.arbordoctor.com/contact.htm

You may contact him at 513-661-2673 or Ron@ArborDoctor.com

China Part 2

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