Pistache, Chinese
Pistacia chinensis
Anacardiaceae - Cashew

Description

Leaves: Alternate; once pinnately compound; deciduous; 10" long; with 10 to 12 leaflets that are 2" to 4" long and one-fourth as wide, lanceolate, short or no-stalked, entire, apex pointed, glabrous, dark green; good yellow to orange-red fall color.

Twigs/buds: Twigs stout; brown with prominent orange lenticels; glabrous; strong odor when crushed; pith wide, white, solid. Terminal bud 3/8" long, scaly, dark brown to black, glabrous or slightly hairy; lateral buds similar but smaller.

Flowers/fruit: Dioecious. Flowers small, in small groups, green; bloom in April on previous year's wood. Fruit a round, 1/4" diameter drupe; red or blue when ripe in October, eaten by birds.

Bark: Scaly; shallowly furrowed; gray with orange inner bark exposed when scale flake off.

Wood: No information available.

General: Native to China. Drought resistant and otherwise very adaptable. Shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: This is a good, tough, medium to large tree that should be planted more in warmer locations. Nice fall color and fairly free of pests. Used as an understock for grafted commercial pistachios. Zones 6-9.

Cultivar: 'Pearl Street'.

Characteristics

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