Deciduous tree, upright while young, spreading with age and eventually attaining dimensions half as wide as tall. Joe’s is not considered a dwarf and possesses a reasonably fast growth rate that is approximately 1/3 to 1/2 that of the species. The structure can be open growing initially but will gain a very dense branching over time. ‘Joe’s’ should be considered a smaller stature tree as compared to most non-dwarf Ginkgo’s.

Foliage:
The variegation on this one has been touted as one of the most reliable of all the variegated forms, many of which are somewhat migratory in the display. ‘Joes Great Ray’ exhibits generous amounts of dark green and yellow green striping along with rich yellow, cream and white – often entire leaves exhibit these three lighter colors. The range and degree of these tones can be subject to conditions such as season, soil and light, but most notably the vitality of the plant. Vigorously growing and heavily fertilized plants will often show less of the bright colorations. Like all of us, I guess ‘Joe’s’ is at its best when starved just a little bit.

Bark:
No pertinent ornamental traits.

Flower:
No pertinent ornamental traits.

Fruit:
While ‘Joe’s Great Ray’ is not considered to be fruitless it is pertinent to note that observations of 20-year-old plants have only recently shown fruit and in quantities of less than a dozen per year.

Size:
Height 16’ – 20’
Width 8’ to 10’
Dimensions listed below are of a 20-year-old tree in OH.

Zone:
3 to 8

This form is a branch variant of an old cultivar simply called ‘Variegata’ and was systematically refined over 10 generations! Obviously, this process takes tremendous patience and diligence, and was focused on only the best, brightest and most reliable variegated characteristics. The results of which yielded a truly individual plant that will bear no resemblance to its parentage.
Who is Joe? This is one of several plants we carry that was originally selected by Joe Stupka of Pulaski PA. Joe passed on July 25th, 2019 and we are privileged to be able to carry on with this fine introduction.