We learn a lot from our readers and customers and the questions they ask us. One of you recently wrote in with some questions about the health and well-being of her Chinese pistache trees, and we were able to help her find the answers she needed. This got us curious about the Chinese pistache tree, growing them in the home garden, and how to care for them. There’s a lot to learn about these truly fascinating plants, so let’s dig in and explore the world of pistache trees!
Pistacia chinensis, The Chinese Pistache Tree
Known as 黄連木 (pronounced huángliánmù) in Mandarin, the Chinese Pistache tree is in fact native to both Mainland China and the island of Taiwan. In its native range it typically grows at a relatively high altitude—300 to 1200 feet or roughly 100 to 3600 meters—and prefers rocky soil with full sun. Due to the climate diversity of its original habitat, Chinese pistache can tolerate a relatively wide range of temperature conditions, withstanding lows of down to -13F/-25C while still thriving as far south as central Florida in the United States. This tree is also drought-tolerant and able to cope with the demands of urban environments fairly well.
Related to the pistachio—hence the similar name—one of the key features of the Chinese pistache tree is its amazing, colorful foliage and fruit. The leaves are long, pinnate, and a light green color in the spring. Independently of the leaves, the tree produces panicles—segemented, feathery growths directly off the branches that eventually bear flowers and fruit. The fruit—a non-edible drupe—turns a lovely blue shade when ripe, and in the fall the leaves put on an extravagant orange and yellow display, with varying shades depending on the individual tree and its conditions of growth.
Chinese Pistache for Your Garden, Yard, or Landscape
Hardy, colorful, and a lover of full sun, Chinese pistache is an increasingly popular choice for lawns and gardens across wide swaths of North America. It’s not prone to turning invasive, thrives in most places with sun, and grows relatively quickly.
Planting a Chinese pistache tree is fairly straightforward: they’re best planted in the fall, in a hole roughly three to five times the diameter of the root ball. Newly planted Chinese pistache trees should be mulched to the depth of about two inches/five cm, and watered regularly. The soil should be allowed to dry on the surface between waterings; don’t let it become waterlogged as this may lead to problems with root rot. Staking young trees is preferred—one or two stakes with a soft material buffering the young tree from the wire help secure the sapling after transplanting.
Mature Chinese pistache trees may reach a height of around 35 feet/10-12 meters, and will last a long time with minimal care. While these trees are a wonderful addition to many landscaping schemes and we do recommend picking the site carefully as these trees are sizable, long-term additions to your space.
We’re grateful to our readers for reminding us how much more there is to learn, and we’re glad we had the chance to learn about the wonderful, colorful Chinese pistache tree. Thank you, Florence, for asking the questions that inspired this article! For the rest of our friends out there: if you’re growing one for these beauties in your landscaping or garden, we’d love to see some photos!
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