Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba (maidenhair tree) is a unique species, with no close living relative, and is one of my favourite trees.

I photographed this pressed leaf with light behind it to try and capture its texture and pattern. I'd have liked to get the full leaf, which is a lovely and unique fan shape, but couldn't get it to work so this is just a detail. It doesn't do it justice but gives a hint of its beauty.

In 1815, Goethe sent a Ginkgo leaf as a symbol of friendship and wrote this poem called 'Gingo Biloba':

This leaf from a tree in the East,
Has been given to my garden.
It reveals a certain secret,
Which pleases me and thoughtful people.

Is it a living being,
Which has separated in itself?
Or are these two, who chose
To be recognized as one?

Answering this kind of question,
Haven't I found the proper meaning,
Don't you feel in my songs,
That I'm one and double?