Princeton Sentry™ Columnar

Ginkgo biloba 'Princeton Sentry' is a male, narrowly upright selection of maidenhair tree with fan-shaped green leaves and a clear golden-yellow fall display. Its columnar crown gives the species' long-lived character a more vertical outline for streets, lawns, and other spaces where a broad canopy is not wanted. ## Form and siting Published mature-size estimates vary: the University of Florida IFAS fact sheet gives 50–65 feet tall and 15–20 feet wide, while Missouri Botanical Garden lists 40–50 feet tall and 20–30 feet wide. Allow room for a substantial tree and plan around the site's overhead and lateral clearances. The selection is described as male, so it does not produce the fleshy, odoriferous seeds associated with female ginkgo trees. ## Growing conditions Plant in full sun and average, well-drained soil. Its deciduous foliage turns yellow in autumn; leaves may drop in a short period, creating a seasonal carpet beneath the crown. The sources describe the cultivar's upright habit and mature dimensions: [UF/IFAS fact sheet](https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/ginbilf.pdf) and [Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder](https://plantfinder.mobot.org/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=k360). ## Care Water new plantings regularly while roots establish, then adjust watering to rainfall and site conditions. Give the trunk and crown room to develop; routine shaping is generally unnecessary for a tree selected for its naturally upright form. ## Maintenance