We were very excited to have the opportunity to plant a ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) outside the brewery today. One of the reasons the ginkgo leaf was an irresistible choice to us as Perennial's logo is because the leaves have enough asymmetry to make each one clearly unique while still being impossible to confuse with any other tree leaf. Aside from their individual shapes, these trees are most striking as they turn yellow in the fall.
The ginkgo is also considered a living fossil. There are no other species within the same genus (or family, order, class, or phylum for that matter) from the fossil record for the past 5+ million years. Yet it has great antiquity--the ginkgo we know today has recognizable ancestors dating back 270 million years. It's truly the last of its kind and still going strong.
As a species, Ginkgo sp. is indisputably enduring (which, aside from its botanical meaning, also happens to be the definition of "perennial"). As individuals, ginkgoes have proven to be even more impressive. In China, there are living ginkgo trees that are claimed to be over 2,500 years old! These individuals can also be incredibly resilient--ginkgo trees were some of the only survivors in the area of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.
We fully expect, and hope, this ginkgo tree will still be going strong for decades, maybe centuries, to come. We at Perennial will be honored to be along for part of the ride as this tree grows stronger, and becomes more rooted, with each day that passes by. And I, personally, will enjoy seeing its progress everyday as I pass it on my way into the brewery.
