The maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) is
said to have been introduced
to Japan in the Heian period, about 1000 years ago.
It is a very robust tree, and there are many giant trees across the
country.
One of its unusual features is that some individuals develop fruits
or
flowers from leaves, not from twigs (We call a tree with such a
feature
' Ohatsuki ichou').