This is a reliable choice for street, lawn or patio planting.  Chinese pistache forms a broadly rounded tree 30-40' tall and nearly as wide.  It has good orange to red fall color even in the milder climates and will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions.  Once established it is drought tolerant.  In our opinion this superb tree should be planted more!

When To Plant:  Plant in the spring or the fall.  Chinese pistache transplants well whether it be container grown or balled & burlapped form.

Where To Plant:  These trees will adapt to about any soil.  Like most trees, they grow best in moist, well-drained, fertile soils.

How To Plant:  Dig your hole two to three times the width of the rootball and the same depth.  Mixing some Back to Nature® into your existing soil is a good idea to give your tree a good start.  Water thoroughly as you are replacing the soil to remove any air pockets.  Use 2-3" of any bark mulch to retain moisture and inhibit weed growth around the base of the tree.  If you are planting a smaller tree it may be a good idea to stake it for the first growing season. 

Care & Maintenance:  Your Chinese pistache will probably need some pruning early on to form a good, straight crown.  It is a good idea to leave lower branches on the tree for a couple of years to establish a stronger trunk.  The tree has few pest problems and is very drought tolerant after becoming established. 

Other Information:  Pistache trees are dioecious (male and female flowers on separate trees).  The female tree produces fruit which is attracts birds in the fall.  If you are wondering if this tree is related to the tree that produces pistachio nuts the answer is yes.  Pistacia vera is a smaller tree and not winter hardy in this part of Oklahoma.