Ginkgo biloba

Gingko biloba, or the Maidenhair tree, holding onto the last of its yellow leaves. The ones I harvested are now infused in alcohol and water and will be ready to add to patients' medicines in a couple of weeks. Ginkgo has many uses but has a particular affinity for the circulatory system; its dilatory effect on blood vessels has been well-research, espeically in relation to cerbral insufficiency, symptoms of which can be memory and concentration issues, tiredness, headaches, vertigo and depression or anxiety.

Ya chio, the ancient Chinese name, meaning "duck foot", refers to the unusual shap of ginkgo's leaves. This species has also been called a "living fossil"; it is one of the oldest surviving tree species in the world and existed over 200 miliion years ago., Its exceptional endurance is perhaps summed up by four ginkgoes growing close to the epicentre of the atom bomb blast at Hiroshima - despit the utter devastation which destroyed almost every living thing in the area, these trees survived. In Japan, the ginkgo is now considered a sign of hope.