Ginkgo biloba

Found: the Ginkgo is cultivated and grown as a shade tree. It originally comes from China and is non-native to America, though it does adapt well to different soil types.

Height: up to 30.5 meters (100 feet)

Leaves: the very characteristic leaves are fan-shaped. They have two lobes and parallel veins.

Fruit: female Ginkgo trees have a fleshy, pungent fruit covering a hard-shelled, elliptical seed

Uses: Ginkgo leaf extracts are used today to improve oxygen flow and metabolism in the brain, which has proven useful in treating short-term memory loss and early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The crude extract from the leaf does not possess these qualities however, it must be purified in a laboratory.