Ginkgos in the rain

It is not a secret that I’m fond of ginkgos. They make great street trees and look beautiful year round, even when bare. But in the fall, for a period of a week or two, they explode in a riot of yellow that is impossible to describe.

Last November I posted photos of this tree:

I used to pass it when taking my daughter to school. This year she rides her bike, so I missed the fall peak of this particular specimen.

Fortunately, there are ginkgos in other parts of town. The trees in the next three photos are on the campus of UC Davis.

Gardener Sue, a fellow Davisite, told me about a quiet residential street on the other side of town that is studded with ginkgo trees. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to make it there, the rain and wind had knocked most of the leaves off the trees, blanketing the lawns, driveways and sidewalks.

Driving home, I saw these beacons of yellow from a block away:

There was still plenty of foliage on these trees. One in particular still had quite a few green leaves.

I’ve often noticed the purple house in the final photo but I didn’t know they had a ginkgo tree, too. The yellow leaves provide a beautiful contrast to the paint color of the house.

I love seeing so many ginkgo trees all over town, especially in older neighborhoods where the trees have grown to majestic proportions.

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If you like ginkgo trees, you might find this resource very interesting: Gingko biloba: Nature’s Miracle.