Beicology: Learn the Hidden History of China's Ginkgo Trees at The Bookworm, Mar 22

Before they became a common sight lining the streets of New York, Tokyo, Beijing, and numerous other cities, ginkgo – an archetypical Chinese tree – was once on the brink of extinction.

That story of ruin and revitalization is the muse of British botanist Sir Peter Crane. Among his chief accomplishments: being both an environmental scientist at Yale University and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS, an award given to scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by England’s Royal Society). Crane will be at the Bookworm on Mar 22 at 6pm to discuss his book Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot, and to regale attendees with tidbits about what makes this tree great. He’s especially keen to speak with Chinese people about how their corner of the world helped it persevere during a perilous period.

"Many people in China perhaps are not aware of the deep history of the ginkgo, and I hope to talk about it in my lecture," Crane tells the Beijinger ahead of the talk. "Many Chinese people know it’s a Chinese plant, and that it was rather rare for a period, but what they might not know is it was once widely distributed in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere as well, and then somewhat inexplicably, its range contracted and for a time it really only survived in China."

Furthermore, he says, “the people of China should be very proud because they were instrumental in its survival and shared it with the rest of the world.”

Indeed, the tree was common throughout the globe, even surviving in Europe up until about two million years ago, but after its range contracted it came perilously close to becoming extinct. However, the tree quietly persisted in central China, and before long it not only survived but also thrived, being planted for its edible seeds through much of China, and then in Korea and Japan, where they are remain eaten to this day.

When it was also recognized that the tree was resilient to urban environments, it became common to plant ginkgos along city sidewalks the world over, thereby adding a bit of greenery to the ubiquitous gray swaths of concrete.

It’s what Crane calls an "inspiring story... a tree that has undergone a remarkable resurgence and is a good counterpoint the more common narratives about plants going extinct because of human activity."

But aside from all that history, Crane also appreciates many simpler aspects of this tree. For one, he says "the shape of the gingko’s leaf is completely unlike anything else. It has this long stalk that broadens out into a fan shape. So I enjoy its distinctive beauty as well."

Sir Peter Crane will speak at the Bookworm on Mar 22 at 6pm. For more information and tickets, click here.

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Photos: Visit Beijing's (via Twitter), The Daily Texan