Chestnut Chat: Ginkgo, the Rescue of a Remarkable Tree
Join us on Friday, April 17, 2026, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Eastern), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.
Special guest, Sir Peter Crane, will explore the inspiring comeback story of the ginkgo tree. Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, ginkgo is a botanical oddity and a widely recognized “living fossil.” Wild ginkgo exists only in China, but today it is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. It is one of the world’s most popular street trees and herbal medicines. The lecture will explore the evolutionary and cultural history of the species from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence. Like the American chestnut, the most recent chapters in the evolutionary and cultural biography of ginkgo have been written by people. For a species once on the brink of extinction, what has unfolded has been a remarkable turnaround. Ginkgo is now widely grown, widely known, and a “good news” story, a tree that people saved.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE (via Zoom Webinar)
Pre-registration is required to attend this event. Pre-register here. After registering, you will receive an email with a unique URL link to join the event. You can also add the event to your calendar from the webinar registration approval page. The meeting will open 15 minutes prior to the start time to allow an audio and video test.
Presenter
Peter Crane
President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation
Bio
Sir Peter Crane FRS is President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Virginia (osgf.org), an estate of Rachel Lambert Mellon that includes an exquisite garden as well as an exceptional library focused on the history of plant science, plant exploration, and the development of gardens and landscape design. He is known internationally for his work on the diversity of plant life – its origin, fossil history, current status, conservation and use. Peter received the International Prize for Biology in December 2014 and the Darwin-Wallace Medal of the Linnean Society of London in 2024. In 2024 he also received the Garden Club of America Medal of Honor.
