Crochet a Ginkgo leaf!

Add lovely leaves to your fall decor with this crochet ginkgo leaf pattern! Make leaves of all different sizes and textures by switching up your yarn and hook.

This content is protected by copyright. See this Terms of Use / Copyright page for more information.

This post contains sponsored content and/or affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may get a commission.

Use Almost Any Yarn!

This ginkgo leaf pattern will work with almost any yarn or thread. Yarns that vary in thickness (i.e. thick-and-thin yarns) may affect the final shape and look of the leaf.

Use a hook that gives you a medium to firm gauge with the yarn or thread you choose. The size of your leaf and the yardage needed will vary depending on your yarn and hook choices.

Fall Leaf Collection

This pattern is part of a collection of fall leaf crochet patterns. Once I have several leaf patterns published, I plan to put them together into an e-book. It may be some time before that’s completed, but when it is I will link it here! Meanwhile, you may enjoy these other leaf patterns:

Ginkgo Biloba – A Living Fossil

One of my teachers in school was madly in love with ginkgo trees, and his enthusiasm rubbed off on me. Ginkgos are one of the oldest living species of trees. So old, in fact, that it has outlived the dinosaurs and is often called a “living fossil”.

The species Ginkgo Biloba (the Ginkgo trees we have today) is entirely unique. It is the last of it’s genus Ginkgo, which is alone in its family, order, class, and even phylum. It’s the lone surviving link between ferns and conifers.

What’s That Smell?

Ginkgos either produce fruit or produce pollen. The fruit of Ginkgo trees smells horrible. It has an odor caused by butyric acid, the same chemical that gives rancid butter its distinctive smell. As a result, most Ginkgo trees used in landscaping these days are pollen-producing trees, cloned from other pollen-producing trees. (Source: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard )

Note: Ginkgos and Ginkgoes are both accepted plurals of Ginkgo.

Ginkgo Leaves

Ginkgo leaves are usually pictured splitting off into 2 separate lobes (bifurcated). Not all Ginkgo leaves are actually bifurcated, but the coolest ones are! The leaves start off with a unique fan shape, which then may or may not split into separate lobes.

In the fall, Ginkgo leaves turn a bright yellow. The color can range from a nearly neon, lemon yellow to a shiny gold. The yarn I chose is probably a bit more orange in tone than an actual ginkgo leaf would get.

Ginkgo Leaf Video Tutorial

Need a little help with this pattern? Check out the video tutorial!

Crochet Ginkgo Leaf

Add this to your Ravelry queue

Materials

Yarn: Any yarn of your choice. Sample shown used 10 yds of worsted weight, cotton yarn.
Hook: Hook size that gives a medium to firm gauge with your chosen yarn. Sample shown with size H (5mm) crochet hook.
Notions:
- Scissors
- Tapestry Needle

Project Level

Intermediate: Basic stitches with short row shaping.

Size / Gauge

Exact gauge is not important. Size, gauge, and yardage needed will vary depending on yarn/hook choices. Sample shown is approximately 2.5″ long, not including stem, and 4″ wide at widest point.

Abbreviations used

This pattern uses US terms.

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stich(es)

Recommended Resources

Pattern Notes

Ch 1 or ch 2 at the beginning of a row does not count as a st unless otherwise indicated.
Either side can be the right side or wrong side as desired.

Instructions

Scroll down for chart.

Foundation: Ch 19.

For a longer or shorter stem, make more or fewer chains, but no fewer than 11.

First Lobe

Row 1: Sc in 3rd ch from hook, sl st in next ch, leave remaining chs unworked. (1 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in next sc. (2 sc)

Row 3: Ch 2, turn, sc in each sc across, sc in next unworked ch on Foundation, sl st in next unworked ch on Foundation. (3 sc)

Row 4: Ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across. (4 sc)

Rows 5-7: Repeat Rows 3 & 4, then repeat Row 3 once more. (7 sc on Row 7)

Second Lobe

Row 8: Ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each of next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc, sk last sc. (8 sc)

Row 9: Ch 2, turn, sc in first sc, sl st in next sc, leave remaining sc unworked. (1 sc)

Row 10: Ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in next sc. (2 sc)

Row 11: Ch 2, turn, sc in each sc across, sc in next unworked sc of Row 8, sl st in next unworked sc of Row 8. (3 sc)

Row 12: Ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across. (4 sc)

Rows 13-14: Repeat Rows 11 & 12. (6 sc on Row 14)

Row 15: Ch 2, turn, sc in each sc across, sc in next unworked sc of Row 8, sl st in last unworked sc of Row 8, sl st in each remaining unworked ch of Foundation. (7 sc)

Ginkgo Leaf Chart

Finishing

Wash and block, pinning the ch-2 “points” to open them up, and straightening the foundation chain slightly as desired. Blocking is important for this pattern. For best results, do not skip this step.

To make the stem curl slightly if desired, weave one tail straight up through the stem and pull gently. When satisfied with shape, weave end in to secure. Weave in remaining end.

Share this Crochet Ginkgo Leaf on Pinterest!

Here’s an image perfect for pinning.

Rate this Crochet Ginkgo Leaf Pattern!

I hope you enjoyed this crochet ginkgo leaf pattern. A downloadable pdf of this pattern is available on Ravelry for a small fee. The fee for the pdf format offsets the advertising revenue lost when you print or download the pattern rather than viewing it online.

Do you want the best of Stitches n Scraps delivered right to your inbox? Don’t miss a stitch – Subscribe now!