Ginkgos Survived the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima

Ginkgo survivor of the 1945 atomic bomb in Hiroshima, registry number E13a25-01 (photo from Wikimedia) 27 October 2026 In less than two weeks Pittsburgh’s ginkgo trees will turn brilliant yellow and start dropping their leaves. Their bright color will draw attention to a species that is hardly noticed the rest of the year. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a single ginkgo drop all its leaves in one day. Ginkgos (Ginkgo biloba) are hardy trees that are often planted in cities because they cope well with air pollution and with confined root systems. In fact they are far hardier than we imagine. When the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in August 1945 six ginkgo trees survived, burnt on the outside like charcoal but still standing. Photo of what became later Hiroshima Peace Memorial among the ruins of buildings in Hiroshima in early October 1945 (photo by Shigeo Hayashi via Wikimedia) The following spring they budded and produced leaves and ultimately seeds. They are still…