The classification of the Gingko tree was difficult for the botanists because it belongs neither to the conifers nor to the broad-leaved trees. Thus a division of its own was created for it: the ginkgo plants (Ginkgoate). Today there is only one single kind left which is the ginkgo biloba. These trees already existed 290 million years ago. From the Jurassic up to the Cretaceous period these plants had a worldwide spreading. Hence, one can find fossils of ginkgo kinds also in Central Europe. Because of the fact that today all the others of originally a total of 17 types were extinct a long time ago, the ginkgo biloba is as the oldest living fossil in the plant world.
Legends grew up around its healing powers. Pioneer in medical area was China where the bark, the leaves and fruits are used since the 11th century for healing purposes. In the traditional Chinese medicine above all the seed and the flesh are generally acknowledged to be effective against different diseases.
In Europe only 200 years after the reintroduction of the ginkgo as a park and garden tree people recognized its valuable, curative qualities. German scientists found out during the sixties of the last century that the extract of the leaves which is obtained through a special process is extremely effective against circulatory problems. This discovery revolutionized the ginkgo research. Today every third medicament prescribed against circulatory problems is a ginkgo product.