Ginkgos Survived the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima

Outside My Window · Oct 27, 2026

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…