Pistache, Chinese

The Chinese Pistache is native to China and is an introduced tree to the United States. It is a small to medium-sized tree that develops a symmetrical round crown if grown in full sun. The Pistache grows to 25 – 50 feet in height, with a spread of 25 – 40 feet. Its broad spreading crown can form an umbrella-like canopy.

The LEAVES are dark green in summer, turning orange to red in the fall. They are alternate, even-pinnately compound leaves with 10 or 12 entire lanceolate leaflets.

The FLOWERS, green or red panicles which appear at the ends of the branches in spring before the leaves, are not showy. On female trees, if there is a male tree in the vicinity, these flowers are followed by clusters of small (1/4” diameter) round green berries which turn red to reddish-purple to dark blue in the fall.

The grayish BARK develops scaly ridges which with age can flake off and expose the orange inner bark.

Even though once established the Chinese Pistache is drought tolerant, it grows best in moist, well-drained soils and full sun. It is intolerant of shade and has good heat, frost and soil pH tolerance. The light open branching pattern creates a light-dappled shade.

It is sometimes referred to as an ‘ugly duckling’ because young trees are often sparse, gangly and misshapen, not taking on an attractive form until older. Chinese Pistache can be slow to establish, and the FRUIT can be a litter problem with female trees. Though Chinese Pistache has many attributes, and held much promise as an attractive and relatively trouble-free landscape tree, it is no longer recommended because it has shown a tendency to escape cultivation and could become invasive.