The ginkgo has been spreading its magical fan-shaped leaves for more than 150 million years. One of the key features of the original plant was the finely forked and multifariously formed "leaves". That said, these trees, which are among the world's oldest varieties, are not classed as deciduous but form their own genus. Over a period of a million years, the leaves' original forms, which ranged from tongue- to needle-shaped, bifurcated or fourfold, evolved into the symbolically bifid ginkgo leaf widely recognised today. The fusion of its needle-like leaves to form the fan of today is a phenomenon of the plant world, and gives the ginkgo its special appeal.

Many cultures revere the ancient tree as a symbol of longevity, fertility, friendship, flexibility and invincibility. Many temple complexes in China and Japan are home to giant hoary examples. The seeds and leaves meanwhile are as treasured as the tree itself. The leaves used to be used as money in China, and they were also laid between the pages of books to ward off pests. While the leaves were primarily used in medicine, the shelled and roasted seeds were considered a choice speciality.
The name we use for the tree can probably be traced to a spelling error which found its way into early botanical works. It was in fact the German surgeon and botanist Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716) who mistook the "y" in "ginkyo" for a "g" when translating the Japanese word into Latin. Many names which were coined in Asia long before, such as grandfather-grandson tree and elephant's ear, are still widespread today. In Germany it is sometimes called Goethe's tree based on the poet's verses to the ginkgo. In the English-speaking world it is often referred to as the maidenhair tree.