These ancient trees persisted for nearly 200 million years until they all but vanished. Now they line city streets.

The ginkgo tree is a deciduous tree native to China that grows fan-shaped leaves with bright fall colors.

"There’s a huge paradox at the heart of this ginkgo story."

Yellow autumn leaves hang from a Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba). Photographed in Rengstorff Park in Mountain View, California.

Ichō (ginkgo) provide spectacular late autumn leaf viewing, putting on vivid displays of golden foliage. Japanese have long valued this unique, hardy species of tree, and impressive old-growth specimens are found across the country in such settings as Shintō shrines, public parks, and along roadways. Below we visit three ancient specimens decked out in their seasonal yellow splendor.