Why Ginkgo Trees Drop Their Leaves in One Day

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Of all the trees that put on an autumn show, the golden splendor of the ginkgo tree is a scene stealer. This ancient tree species has no living relatives and has remained unchanged for 200 million years, which makes some of its features quite unique. Its fan-shaped leaves, for instance, are unmistakable.

Ginkgos also possess the gift of dramatic timing. While other trees can take weeks to drop all their leaves in autumn, ginkgos can complete the task within a day. One day you’re admiring the beautiful cloud of sunny yellow above—by the next, you have sea of gold beneath your feet.

Recently, the University of New Hampshire, which has a particularly beloved, decades-old ginkgo on campus, tapped Serita Frey, PhD, a professor of natural resources, to explai