It really depends on a lot of different conditions (temperature, moisture,tree species, and the health of the tree), but yes, all Ginkgo trees will eventually change to yellow before their leaves drop--though some cultivars may be particularly good for coloration. Mine is still bright green (along with the oaks and maples) as it's been relatively mild and the ground is very, very, very WET--this delays yellowing. My Ginkgo usually doesn't reach peak coloration until mid November. Just be patient:)

well njoasis...here in central illinois it has been very very very DRY! as in DROUGHT! so who knows what will happen? Just be patient, hmmmmm. I dont think I have any other choice, just hope I live long enough to enjoy that yellow fall color. :-)

Did not know central Il. was in severe drought. Drought usually means leaves will turn (and drop) earlier--not later. I wish we could sell some of our rain surplus to the rest of the country--It's gotten beyond ridiculous here!

My ginkgos turned bright yellow while they were still growing in little one gallon pots. The one that was planted in the ground (about 4 years ago) provides a show no matter what the weather has been like....months long droughts or not. It's planted in rather heavy (unamended) clay and is rarely hand watered. The two others are little bonsai and still turn off bright yellow for me.

I wish I had some insight as to why your trees haven't behaved in their predictable manner. What happens in the fall as they begin to lose their leaves?

"They are slightly yellow on the edges before dropping off."

That is strange. Solid yellow, ginkgo leaves seem as predictable as yellow forsythia in the spring.--Sounds like it is stress-related though.

Gardenlady, we would LOVE to share 5-6" of rain with you given that we are about two feet above normal and the late fall (November-Dec) rainy season is about to begin.

I planted this one in 1989. About 6 ft. tall

Last year was the first color show ever. Nothing unusual about the weather so I just assume it was ready to earn its keep. It didn't disappoint me.

Dave

11-16-2010.

{{gwi:458486}}

Dave!!! OMG, I love it!!! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I will NOT, give up on these ginkgo trees.....when they are ready and not until then!
Your gardens are beautiful...
Pam

They don't color up well if the soil is too wet OR if you have too many early freeze/frosts. Otherwise they are as consistent as a sunrise.

Nice picture Dave.
I guess the Ginkgo tree doesn't drop all it's 'leaves' at once.
Mine behaves the same. Top goes before the bottom leaves.
Mike

Probably the most important thing for color is the difference between day and night temperatures; the greater the difference, the greater the color; so micro location is important. With the gingko in general, it is one tree that you should buy in the fall, when you can see the color; because some cultivars will just never get that bright yellow color.

Every Gingko I'very seen in NYC turned a beautiful clear yellow. I planted one in Vermont some 20 years ago as a small cutting. After all this time, it has yet to turn color during fall. The growth during the season is very lush and green but once the cold fall weather sets in, the leaves either brown and drop and this year, the leaves fell green.

I used to live on one of those incredibly picturesque narrow alleys here in Philadelphia, with a row of gingkoes in it (there are many gingkoes here in such situations, in streets and alleys that are really too narrow for anything but a torturously pruned gingko) One year there was an overnight hard freeze in early November, and plonk! Almost all the gingko leaves fell in one night, with only about half of them yellowed.

I don't know its name. I planted it in 1989. It has turned this beautiful color only two times. Last year it came through.

Depends on the timing of the first freeze. If the leaves are still green when it freezes, the leaves will drop immediately without coloring. Here in a frost hollow, only a relatively late freeze will allow mine to color.

I have very young ones and in early Oct we experienced below ave cold spell in my area. It was followed (and still ongoing) by above ave warm spell and most deciduous trees went to brown, with some fresh green foliage coming out also. No fall color. Very weird.