Looking for answers?

[MACH5]

I am trying to figure out what exactly what is going on with this recently purchased ginkgo. This is a very old chi chi cultivar. As seen in the photos, it is still dormant and unsure what is going on? I took a couple of pics to show that anywhere I scratch the tree, it is still bright green. So it is very much alive but no real interest in budding. All buds are closed and are perhaps just slightly swollen but not much.

Looking for possible answers. First time ever I have seen this.

 

[_#1_]

That's strange... did it came from zone 3 or 4? I'm 6 and it's extended about 6" already...

Oh, and that's a pretty sweet mammoth right there!

 

[MACH5]

That's strange... did it came from zone 3 or 4? I'm 6 and it's extended about 6" already...

Oh, and that's a pretty sweet mammoth right there!

From zone 5 I believe. It is bizarre specially seeing the tree is very much alive. No wrinkling happening or blackening of any parts of the tree. We had a very strange winter with a very cold spring and few trees lagging behind but everything is, or in the process of, coming out.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Dying of embarassment from poor structure or roots damaged by freeze.

 

[defra]

Nice gnarly stump for sure!
Im in zone 8b and my ginko (not chi chi tough) is in leaf for two weeks now
I have the same thing going on with a (trunk chopped) celtis sinensis bought this winter and also still no buds seller told me not to worry cus its always late but i realy hope to see some growth soon !

 

[petegreg]

I have had springs when my ginkgo went out of dormancy with oaks, it means very last trees waking up.

 

[just.wing.it]

The only thing like that that I've experienced is with a small collected burning bush that grew from seed in my yard a few years ago.
Currently it still has healthy dormant buds from '16....they didn't open in '17, and only a couple have opened so far in 18....
No clue what is up with it....just waiting some reason.

That's a wild one there M5!
Hope she wakes up for you!

 

[sorce]

Those trees didn't survive this long for being stupid.

I'm noting Very Clearly that I had a good spring...amd the rest of the world didn't...
Usually its the other way around!

It knows....it will be fine.

Sorce

 

[Djtommy]

Probably just late, the tree is probably protecting itself . I was up north past week and some gingko I saw just started leafing out now. Give it a bit more time before getting too worried.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Give it time, mine is always among the last to start moving in the spring, just ahead of the J. Beech.
Have you unpotted it and looked at the roots? Here is what my ginkgo roots look like. I’d the roots look good and the cambium is green, I’d just wait it out.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Curious how this tree was wintered in the past? If it differed from your wintering it. If so...it maybe just like...what the heck!?! Scratch test shows its alive...hopefully it's just its own inner clock trying to preserve it. It's an amazing specimen. When was the last time it was repotted?If last year...I wonder if that may be bringing about the delay...as well.

Mine is in leaf...but, also wintered in a controlled cold greenhouse.

 

[GGB]

I'm STILL waiting on some bald Cypress this year and I'm zone 6b. By the time they wake up my growing season will be 3 months. I'm wondering if winter shelter will speed things up next season. We'll see

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Looking for possible answers. First time ever I have seen this.

Some of my deciduous were completely thrown by this winter... since we never had any real winter cold until February. In particular, Korean hornbeams, Japanese hornbeams, hazelnut, and some Chinese elm cultivars. I have a number of trees that are just starting to bud out now (three months late) or have budded out on the lower half of the tree while the upper half is still dormant. Very strange. I would remain patient and not give up hope.

 

[VAFisher]

I had a crape myrtle not wake up until June a couple years ago. And I have 2 sweetgums this year that still have fat red buds and are still flexible but show no signs of leafing out. Definitely a strange winter and spring.

 

[RobertB]

My ginkgo pushed out almost 2 months later than my other trees this year in lower Alabama.

 

[MACH5]

Give it time, mine is always among the last to start moving in the spring, just ahead of the J. Beech.
Have you unpotted it and looked at the roots? Here is what my ginkgo roots look like. I’d the roots look good and the cambium is green, I’d just wait it out.
View attachment 193294View attachment 193295View attachment 193296

Thanks Bri! Tree came from Don. I did not inspect the roots thoroughly. I just limited myself to slip potting it. Whatever I saw looked normal. I was also very careful not to let it freeze at all thereafter.


Thank you all for your responses. All very helpful and puts me at ease a bit. I have never experienced this sort of thing so it threw me off. The tree for sure looks thus far perfectly alive but no desire yet to bud.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

FWIW, mine has frozen solid after repotting in the past and it has not affected it at all. I think you just have a late-riser.

 

[_#1_]

From zone 5 I believe

@Brian Van Fleet Ginkgo bud break about 2 months ahead of mine and he's only one zone higher than us. Coming from zone 5 yours just need more time I think.

Once it pops, you'll be in love

 

[MACH5]

@Brian Van Fleet Ginkgo bud break about 2 months ahead of mine and he's only one zone higher than us. Coming from zone 5 yours just need more time I think.

Once it pops, you'll be in love

Thank you Microscopic! I love these strange and quirky trees. Been wanting one for a long time. So hoping my first experience with them turns out to be a good one! It sounds to me that I may have a super lazy ginkgo!

 

[JudyB]

Michigan trees just wake up later than others!
That's an interesting project, my friend and study group member @John Kuijper got a tree off the auctions a few months ago that looks a lot like this one.