Ginkgo biloba, known as ginkgo or as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta, all others being extinct. It is found in fossils dating back 270 million years. Native to China, the tree is widely cultivated and was introduced early to human history. It has various uses in traditional medicine and as a source of food. In the year 1815 wrote the german poet Goethe a Poem for his beloved an put in a Ginkgo leaf as a symbol for friendship an love.