Choosing a Male Ginkgo to Avoid Messy, Smelly Fruit

Ginkgo trees are prized for their unique fan-shaped leaves and brilliant golden fall color, but female trees produce fleshy, apricot-sized seeds that drop in autumn and rot with a notoriously foul odor—often compared to vomit, rancid butter, or an outhouse.

Male Cultivars Are the Solution

Male ginkgoes produce no seeds, eliminating the mess and smell entirely. Nurseries propagate them by grafting or rooting cuttings from known male trees, ensuring the sex is certain. Popular cultivars include:

• 'Golden Globe' – broad, rounded form.
• 'Princeton Sentry' – narrow, columnar; ideal for streetsides.
• 'Fastigiata' – upright, pyramidal shape.

When purchasing, verify the cultivar name and confirm it's a male clone. Seedling-grown ginkgoes can be either sex and won't reveal their identity for 20+ years.