Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgo trees are native to China. It has no living relative and can be traced back through fossil records to over 270 million years. The tree grows to heights of 20 to 35 meters and has an extended root system to protect against severe winds and to tap deep water sources. Ginkgo trees can live for several hundred years; some trees are reported as being 2,500 years old. This longevity is attributed to the insect resistant wood and the tree’s ability to ward off most diseases.
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The first historical records of a Chinese civilization reveals the Shang Dynasty, a loosely assembled feudal state situated along the eastern section of the Yellow River. It is estimated the Shang Dynasty existed from 1600 BC to 1046 BC and though it is not the oldest Chinese state, it is the first to leave a record of its existence. The ruins of Yin, the last capital of the Shang Dynasty, have yielded bone fragments covered in an ancient script; it is the earliest known example of Chinese writing.
