ginkgo trees

[allergyme]

Does anyone know of a good site with pictures of the different types of ginkgo trees? I have been searching on google images but it returns all types of ginkgos instead of the specific one I type in. I'm trying to decide which type of tree to get between these:
Fastigiata
Witches Broom
Chi Chi
Akebono

[WildcatNurseryman]

https://www.bizonnursery.com/catalog

[hendi_alex]

The fruit tends to be very messy. I would buy male trees if possible to specify.

[WildcatNurseryman]

Good point Alex, but I beleive the named cultivars are strictly male. Bringing up the point about the female fruit does make me feel better about the GIANT Sweet Gum tree in my back yard. I have spent some time trying to think of a tree I would like in my yard LESS than that porcupine seed producing #$^!@, and the dog-poo fragrance of a ginkgo fruit finally fit the bill. Thank you. (combined with the two 50+ year old Water Maples in the front yard I am still not totally pleased, but at least they aren't all female Ginkgo)

[!potatoes!]

there are a number of named cultivars that are females - bred in china, mostly, for nut production, but they're around in the states these days.

I know I'm a minority about this, but although the bad cheese/foot smell of the fruits is unpleasant, the nuts for food make it worthwhile (besides, collecting them for processing gets them out of stepped-on range)...

I'm that guy at female trees in public places, collecting the stinkers.

[WildcatNurseryman]

We have a street in Lexington named, oddly enough, Catalpa Lane that is lined with 60-70 year old Ginkgo. It is a prime nut picking spot for the Japanese people from the Toyota plant that is near-by. I haven't tried a nut yet, but I think I may try one this year. Are there any tricks to cleaning the husks from the nuts?

[!potatoes!]

my trick is inelegant: two sets of plastic bags on my feet, dancing the smear-step on a pile of collected fruits in a non-obvious corner of the yard, and then some rinsing.

it's an interesting nut, way different evolutionarily from anything else we call a nut. fresh, they're green and quite soft. I've had them roasted, which is hard to time right; dry-roasted to complete dryness to grind for flour; and also boiled, either just in salted water or as one of many ingredients in a soup. the flavor's very different depending on how you cook them.

[!potatoes!]

in answer to the OP, here are some places with varyingly helpful pictures:

https://www.japanesemaples.com/catalog/index.php?id=4#349

https://kwanten.home.xs4all.nl/cultivars.htm

https://184.154.137.146/~whitmanf/?p=272

https://www.louistheplantgeek.com/a-gardening-journal/569-ginkgo-biloba-chi-chi

https://woodyplants.nres.uiuc.edu/plant/ginbifa

[WildcatNurseryman]

Potatoes, what is your favorite way to eat them?

[!potatoes!]

either just cracked open and dropped in soup, or salted/roasted.