Gingko

Saying good morning to my gingko tree. It is my personal seasonal barometer, always a good indication of spring on its way, and lets me know when summer is on its way out. This particular plant has had a couple of challenging years due to weather stress so I pruned it and let it be. This year it has bounced back and I am excited to be able to harvest a reasonable amount of leaves for medicine making. 

People often very kindly tell me of trees in their neighbourhoods, unfortunately its not idea to collect from these locations due to chemical contamination from cars, mowers and council weed spraying habits. So I am very grateful to have this small but safe supply.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is not a traditional component of historic Tibetan medicine, it is primarily associated with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean medicine for thousands of years, modern studies are beginning to explore its synergy with Tibetan herbs. 

In these traditional practices, Ginkgo leaf and seed extracts are used for cardiovascular health, lung function (cough/asthma), and cognitive support.

In western herbalism it’s primarily used to improve blood circulation, enhance cognitive function, and provide antioxidant protection. It is also used to manage symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer’s, tinnitus, vertigo, and peripheral arterial disease. Recent research points to encouraging results with Dementia and Alzheimers.

My little harvest is mainly made into a tincture and given for circulatory issues and some kinds of migraine.

Its also a thing of beauty in its full autumn golden glory!