One of the best parts of my job is writing and talking about plants and trees.
People often come up to me when I am out and about and have a few questions, or ask if I know the name of a particular tree or shrub they spied somewhere. It’s a real pleasure.
One tree in particular always seems to be the topic of conversation at this time of the year and for good reason.
“Have you seen that house at the bottom of Skyline Drive with the gorgeous yellow tree?” autumn ask.
I know exactly what they are talking about. Living in the Highlands, I have the thrill of walking and driving by it almost daily.
The tree that’s the talk of the town is a ginkgo bilbao “autumn gold” and if you haven’t noticed it before be sure not to miss it next time you drive or walk by. As you drive up Skyline Drive, it is at the bottom on the right hand side.
I decided to knock on the door today as I often find there is a story to every mature tree. I wasn’t disappointed.
The owner of the tree is Ross Dinwoodie, a long-time Squamish resident who built the home he has lived in for 47 years.
Lovers of music will recognize the Dinwoodie name because his son, Lawrence, was a favourite guitar teacher in Squamish who recently relocated to Vernon.
Lawrence said that, back in the day, neighbours showed up with their tool belts ready to help build the house he called home.
“My mom’s job was to feed people well and provide the beer. It still amazes me how generous people used to be,” he says.
The tree was bought at the old Garibaldi Nursery owned by Doug Boyd.
Apparently, people thought the tree was hard to grow and were unfamiliar with it. Lawrence remembers it had been marked down several times and his dad bought it for under $10 when it was about four-feet tall.
Ginkgos have foliage that emerge bright green in the late spring and then turn golden yellow in the fall.
When I stopped by for a visit, it was pouring rain (what a surprise), but the tree literally glows even on the gloomiest of days.
When Ross is out in his yard on a nice day he often chats to five to 10 people who stop by to ask about the tree, pose for pictures and take home some of the leaves.
A very unique feature of autumn gold ginkgos is that the leaves tend to drop all at once and create a golden pool at the foot of the tree.
Ginkgos prefer a full-sun location with good drainage and are quite maintenance free.
There are both male and female cultivars of ginko. This variety is a fruitless male. The female fruited trees can be quite messy and smelly.
Other than raking up the lovely leaves, Ross stays on top of the size of the tree because at maturity it can reach 40 to 50 feet and there are wires nearby.
He worked as a lineman for BC Hydro most of his life so is intimately aware of the pitfalls of branches mixing with wires and knows people don’t like to be plunged into darkness.
Ginkgos are the only surviving member of a group of ancient plants that have inhabited the earth for 150 million years. Talk about longevity.
This is such a wonderful tree and great legacy to the people in Squamish. Thanks Ross.
