A Bulletproof Shade Tree That Glows Gold Every Fall

Magyar Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba 'Magyar') is an upright-pyramidal, fruitless male selection of the legendary "living fossil" tree — chosen for its uniform shape, faster establishment, and absolutely dependable, brilliant golden fall color. Ginkgo is famously bombproof: virtually pest- and disease-free, tolerant of pollution, compacted soil, and road salt, and untouched by deer. Whether you're planting a boulevard in St. Paul, a clean lawn specimen in Edina, or a street tree in Minneapolis, Magyar Ginkgo is a low-maintenance shade tree that will outlive the house — and put on a spectacular show every October.

Magyar Ginkgo Plant Details

Magyar Ginkgo Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Boulevards and Street Trees

Ginkgo is one of the toughest urban trees on earth — it shrugs off pollution, compacted soil, reflected heat, and road salt that kill lesser trees. The upright-pyramidal form of Magyar fits boulevard spaces well, making it a premium choice for street-side and parking-strip planting in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Clean Lawn and Specimen Trees

As a fruitless male clone, Magyar gives you all the beauty of ginkgo with none of the notoriously messy, foul-smelling fruit. Its tidy uniform shape and clean habit make it an ideal single specimen on a front lawn or framing a formal entry in Edina or Plymouth.

Four-Season Architecture and Fall Spectacle

The fan-shaped leaves are unlike any other tree, and in fall they turn a glowing, uniform gold before dropping almost all at once — one of the most memorable displays in the landscape. The strong branching gives handsome winter structure too.

Best Time to Plant Magyar Ginkgo in Minnesota

Ginkgo is deciduous, so you have two good planting windows in the Twin Cities:

Spring (late April–May), once the ground has thawed, is excellent — the tree gets the full growing season to establish before its first winter.

Fall (September–mid-October) also works well. Plant at least six weeks before the ground freezes so roots can settle in. Avoid mid-summer planting when transplant stress is highest, and never plant into frozen ground.

How to Plant Magyar Ginkgo

1. Dig wide, not deep — the hole should be 2–3 times the root ball width but only as deep as the ball itself. In heavy clay, dig even wider.
2. Check drainage — if water pools in the hole, break through any clay hardpan or mound-plant slightly to keep roots out of standing water.
3. Backfill with the native soil mixed with 20–30% compost. Don't create a pure-compost "container" in clay.
4. Set the tree so the top of the root ball sits at or just above grade. Allow 25–35 feet of spread for a mature specimen.
5. Build a 3–4 inch water basin around the root zone to direct water to the roots; flatten it before winter to prevent ice damage.
6. Mulch with 2–3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips, kept 2 inches away from the trunk. Young ginkgo benefits from a trunk wrap the first winter or two.

Watering Magyar Ginkgo in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

Weeks 1–2: water every 1–2 days, deep and slow. Month 1–2: every 3–4 days. Month 3 through fall: every 5–7 days during active growth, less when rainfall is adequate (Minnesota averages about 3 inches per month June–August). Stop watering 2–3 weeks before the ground freezes in late October so the tree can harden off for winter.

After Year One

Established Magyar Ginkgo is notably drought-tolerant and needs supplemental water mainly during extended dry spells (2+ weeks with no rain). Water deeply and infrequently — soaking to 6–8 inches every 7–14 days during drought — and let natural rainfall do most of the work.

Will Magyar Ginkgo survive a Minnesota winter? Yes — it's reliably hardy to about -30°F and well-proven across the Twin Cities metro. Give young trees a trunk wrap the first winter or two for extra insurance.

Does it make the smelly fruit ginkgos are known for? No. Magyar is a male, fruitless selection, so you get the gorgeous foliage and fall color with none of the messy, foul-smelling seed that female ginkgos drop.

How fast does it grow here? Moderate — roughly 1–1.5 feet per year, a bit faster than typical ginkgo once established. It's a slow-and-steady tree that rewards patience by becoming a magnificent, essentially permanent shade tree.

Is it tough enough for a boulevard or parking strip? Absolutely — ginkgo is one of the most pollution-, salt-, and compaction-tolerant trees in existence, which is exactly why it's so widely planted as a street tree.

You May Also Like

• Princeton Sentry Ginkgo — a narrow, columnar fruitless ginkgo for tighter spaces.
• Autumn Gold Ginkgo — a broad, symmetrical fruitless ginkgo with outstanding gold fall color.
• Presidential Gold Ginkgo — a vigorous, uniform fruitless ginkgo selection.
• Kentucky Coffeetree — another tough, bold-textured, urban-proof native shade tree.

How Many Magyar Ginkgos Do I Need?

Magyar Ginkgo is a large shade tree, so one specimen anchors a typical front or back yard — give it 25–35 feet of clear spread away from the house, driveway, and overhead lines. For a boulevard or driveway allée, space trees 30–35 feet apart on center so the pyramidal crowns just meet at maturity; a 100-foot street frontage takes 3–4 trees. Avoid planting closer than 15 feet from pavement edges to leave room for the trunk flare and roots.

Magyar Ginkgo Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Unique fan-shaped leaves unfurl bright green along uniform, upright branching — fresh, clean foliage with no fruit mess from this male clone.
• Summer: A dense, tidy pyramid of distinctive blue-green fans casts cooling shade and shrugs off heat, drought spells, pollution, and compacted urban soil without a single pest problem.
• Fall: The signature show — the entire canopy turns a glowing, uniform gold, then drops almost all at once in a dramatic golden carpet, usually within a day or two.
• Winter: Strong, architectural branching stands out against the snow, and the tree endures -30°F cold and road salt spray unfazed.

At a Glance

✔ Deer-Resistant   ✔ Salt-Tolerant   ✔ Drought-Tolerant   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Autumn Gold Ginkgo — a broader, symmetrical fruitless ginkgo if you want a wider-crowned companion.
• Presidential Gold Ginkgo — a vigorous, uniform selection for matched street or allée planting.
• Kentucky Coffeetree — another bold-textured, urban-proof shade tree with complementary winter architecture.
• Common Hackberry — a tough native boulevard partner that handles the same salt and compaction.

Is Magyar Ginkgo Right for Your Yard?

Choose Magyar if you want a permanent, essentially zero-maintenance shade tree for a full-sun site — it tolerates clay, sand, salt, pollution, and deer, making it nearly impossible to fail with on a boulevard or lawn. It's not a fit if you need fast shade (growth is a patient 1–1.5 feet per year) or if your space can't accommodate a 45–55 foot tree at maturity.