This qualification is dwarfed by the depth of Crane’s knowledge and the sparkle of his prose. 'Ginkgo cranei, an extinct species of the family, is named after the author who lived beside the UK’s oldest Ginkgo while he was director of Kew Gardens. 'This intelligent, literate history is so enticing it will leave you greedy for more.'―Dominique Browning, New York Times Book Review 'You might think you’d have to be a scholarly sort of tree hugger to wrap your mind around GINKGO: The Tree That Time Forgot, by Peter Crane, but this intelligent, literate history is so enticing it will leave you greedy for more.'―Dominique Browning, New York Times Book Review 'It’s a personable story, as Crane examines the fossil record seeking to trace the plant’s evolution and the tree’s cultural impact.'― The Chicago Tribune Readers of this book will be drawn to the nearest ginkgo, where they can experience firsthand the timeless beauty of the oldest tree on Earth. Crane also highlights the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees. Inspired by the historic ginkgo that has thrived in London’s Kew Gardens since the 1760s, renowned botanist Peter Crane explores the history of the ginkgo from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence. This engaging book tells the rich and engaging story of a tree that people saved from extinction―a story that offers hope for other botanical biographies that are still being written.

Today ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it useful about a thousand years ago. Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years.

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