Ginkgo, the Chinese tree
that amazes the internet and can also be found in Spain
Ginkgo, a deciduous tree
native to China, has never been as Google-searched as it was during the last
week. A single copy is to blame: the images of the golden carpet that have
formed the leaves of one of these trees in a Buddhist temple in the mountains
of Zhongan, in China, have appeared in recent days in media around the globe as
the Chinese national television, Daily Mail, or Italian Corriere de la Sera.
This ginkgo, whose age is
estimated at 1400 years, is located in the garden of a Buddhist temple in the
Chinese region of Xi an in the Zhongnan mountains. Throughout the month of
November, The thousands of fallen leaves of the tree have created a tapestry on
the ground that, as the images published by Daily Mail Show, hove attracted the
attention of many curious and tourists.
The golden carpet that
this tree creates when its leaf falls is not the only curiosity it hides.
"Until 1691 only fossil specimens were known," explains Mariano
Sánchez, of the Royal Botanic Garden, via telephone to Verne. "It was then
that 'live' specimens were found in China." It owes its longevity to its
resistance to pests, fungi and high temperatures, to the point of becoming the
only natural survivor of the atomic bomb of Hiroshima.
A 1,400-year-old ginkgo
tree in China has recently drawn thousands of people from all over the country.
Golden leaves have been falling on the ground since mid-November, turning the
temple's ground into a yellow ocean. (Photo: boredpanda.com) #china #ginkgo
#golden #leaves #goldenleaves #fall #temple #buddha #buddhism #buddhist #ground
#yellow #breathtaking #paradise #calm #serenity #peace #ancient #nature
#natural #naturelovers # picoftheday #pictureoftheday #photo #photooftheday
Although the origin of ginkgo
is the Asian giant, it is not necessary to go there to enjoy the golden carpet
that these trees create in autumn. "They arrived in Europe in 1870,"
says Sánchez. "The first purchase of a ginkgo was very expensive for the
time, 40 shields, and that is why in many parts it is known as 'the tree of 40
shields'".
The Royal Botanic Garden
has four specimens (the oldest, 120 years old), and is not the only place on
the peninsula where they can be found. There are also ginkgos in Barcelona,
Murcia, Santiago, San Sebastián, Malaga, Valencia, and Seville ... Of course,
contemplating its yellow tapestry of deciduous also has a price: to withstand
the bad smell, similar to vomit, that produce its fruits.
One of the ginkgos of the
Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid. Photo: Marisa Esteban, courtesy of the
Botanical Garden
"The female tree
produces fruits whose flesh, which protects the seed, gives off a smell similar
to that of rotten fish if the fruit breaks, hence the smell," explains
Sánchez. "Therefore, it is in autumn, when the fruits fall to the ground,
when it can smell." Is it worth it to approach then? For the botanist,
without a doubt: "The carpets they create are beautiful. Their breadth,
their characteristic color ... It is one of the most spectacular things that
can be seen in autumn."
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