Ginkgo biloba Mutant Weeper

Ginkgo biloba 'Mutant Weeper', marketed under the names 'Weeping Wonder' or 'Majestic Weeper', is a female variety of Gingko that is truly unique due to the deformed appearance of its vegetation and its small size. It naturally forms an irregular mass that takes on an untidy weeping habit, initially narrow and widening over time. The unusual foliage is composed of leaves of varying shapes and sizes. In autumn, it takes on the beautiful golden-yellow colour that is so appreciated in all ginkgos. The architecture of this small tree is interesting even in winter, when it is devoid of leaves. A botanical curiosity that will make a big impression in a pot on the terrace, near the entrance, or in a small garden! Plant it in full sun, in any good, not too dry garden soil.

Ginkgo biloba, also sometimes called 'Maiden Hair' due to the shape of its leaves and the pattern of its veins resembling capillaries, is a very primitive tree from the ginkgoales family, which is now practically extinct. This living fossil normally reaches a height of up to 24 m and has an upright habit while young, later becoming more spreading, measuring up to 9 m in diameter. This majestic tree, native to China, has now (and probably for a long time) disappeared from its natural habitat, surviving only thanks to humans, who continue to plant and propagate it in their most beautiful parks.

'Mutant Weeper' is originally a witches' broom with a prostrate habit discovered in Springfield, Illinois on a female Ginkgo biloba in the early 2000s by Rich Eyre and Mike Dirksen. It is characterised by random main branches growing in all directions, tortuous weeping branches and slightly thicker leaves, compared to other varieties. Some leaves have large lobes, others are very thin, and still others are truncate. Up to 5 different leaf forms can be observed on a single plant. At the age of 10, a grafted specimen reaches approximately 2 m in height and 60 cm in spread. If ungrafted, the plant reaches 1.20 to 1.50 m high and 1.80 to 2 m wide. The branches grow 15 to 20 cm each year. The deciduous leaves are light olive green in spring, darken slightly in summer, and turn a vibrant golden yellow at the end of the season before falling. As a female variety, 'Weeping Wonder' is capable of producing fruits when in the presence of a male tree. This variety flowers and bears fruit at an early age, around its seventh year according to sources. The female "flowers" are yellow ovules hanging from a peduncle, the size and colour of a mirabelle plum. They fall to the ground, when ripe and emit a very unpleasant odour. This small tree resists urban pollution and severe cold very well.

Ginkgo 'Mutant Weeper' can be planted in a container near the entrance, on the terrace, or as a standalone feature on a lawn, where it will provide a focal point for much of the year. Its form integrates particularly well in Japanese, exotic, or contemporary settings. It can also be paired with Japanese maples of modest size, oakleaf hydrangeas, or purple barberries... It is also a beautiful addition to an urban garden or a rooftop terrace.

Despite its deciduous leaves, Ginkgo biloba is a conifer from a botanical perspective. It is a very hardy and robust tree. It was one of the few trees to survive the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in 1945! It is the oldest tree species found on Earth: dating back 300 million years, it has survived all that the Earth has experienced. This tree has been living for thousands of years in the Tianmushan Mountains in southeastern China. It was reintroduced to Europe in the 18th century. With exceptional longevity, the Ginkgo is also a medicinal plant, with its foliage used to combat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.