Even the internet wasn't definitive. Either way, it's a beautiful tree. Here are some Wow! facts from Wikipedia to entertain you:
The scientific name Ginkgo is the result of a spelling error that occurred three centuries ago.
The ginkgo is a living fossil, with fossils recognisably related to modern ginkgo from the Permian, dating back 270 million years.
During autumn, the leaves turn a bright yellow, then fall, sometimes within a short space of time (one to 15 days). A combination of resistance to disease, insect-resistant wood and the ability to form aerial roots and sprouts makes ginkgos long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.
Extreme examples of the ginkgo's tenacity may be seen in Hiroshima, Japan, where six trees growing between 1–2 km from the 1945 atom bomb explosion were among the few living things in the area to survive the blast. Although almost all other plants (and animals) in the area were killed, the ginkgos, though charred, survived and were soon healthy again.
The ginkgo is the official tree of the Japanese capital of Tokyo, and the symbol of Tokyo is a ginkgo leaf.
Now aren't you glad you kept reading?
