21 November 2024
In the garden we often grow “perfect” flowers such as roses, lilies and tulips with male and female parts in every flower. However, many woody shrubs and trees have single sex flowers. Some species grow both sexes on the same tree, others have only one sex on an entire plant. And so, some plants are simply female.
Compare this “perfect” bisexual flower diagram …
… to single sex flowers.
Monoecious species have both flower sexes on the same plant. Examples include hickory and pecan trees, cucumbers and pumpkins, cherries, common grape vine and corn (maize).
Dioecious plants produce only male or female flowers on individual plants and only the female plants produce fruit. Examples include gingkos (stinky fruit from female trees!) …
… and holly trees –> You can’t get holly berries if you have only one tree.
Knowing this, you can sex dioecious plants in the fall. And here we are with spicebush.
have wondered forever if anything eats the ginko fruit or if there is any human use for it?
Actually humans eat the nuts inside the goo, though only in moderation. https://www.phillyorchards.org/2020/11/19/spotlight-on-ginkgo-pretty-edible-historic/