Daejeon City Creates "Millennium Forest" Near Daecheong Lake Using Female Ginkgo Trees

2,500 Ginkgo Trees Replaced Over Three Years
Citywide Replacement Rate Reaches About 70%

Photo by Daejeon City Provided

Daejeon City has replaced approximately 2,500 female ginkgo trees with male trees over the past three years to alleviate inconvenience caused by ginkgo fruit for residents. The replaced female trees are not discarded; instead, they are being used to create the “Millennium Forest,” a ginkgo-themed forest currently being established around the Daecheong Lake area.

This year, Daejeon City completed the replacement of female ginkgo trees in both Dong-gu and Jung-gu districts.

As a result, the overall replacement rate across the city has reached about 70%. The city is also implementing comprehensive measures for the management and utilization of ginkgo trees, including strengthening the collection of fallen fruit during the dropping season and developing the Daecheong Lake “Millennium Forest.”

Ginkgo trees are highly resistant to pests, diseases, and pollution, and are effective at absorbing fine dust, making them well-suited as urban street trees. While the odor caused by components such as ginkgoic acid and bilobol is considered a natural survival mechanism to protect seeds from insects and animals, this distinctive smell has led to ginkgo trees being regarded as a nuisance and identified as a major source of discomfort for residents.

In response, Daejeon City has pursued both the replacement of female trees and management of ginkgo fruit. Over the past three years, about 2,500 female trees have been replaced with male trees, and this year, the city raised the overall replacement rate to 70% by completing the replacement in Dong-gu, following Jung-gu, where the number of ginkgo trees was relatively low.

To address residents’ concerns about the safety of ginkgo fruit, Daejeon City has commissioned the Institute of Health and Environment to conduct heavy metal tests three times since 2015, and all results confirmed levels below the standard, proving the safety of the fruit.

Park Youngcheol, Director of Greenery and Agricultural Life at Daejeon City, stated, “Ginkgo trees are an urban resource that must balance both residents’ quality of life and environmental needs. We will continue to make every effort to ensure that ginkgo trees are welcomed as part of a vibrant green urban forest through systematic and creative management.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.