Chinese Pistache Tree

What characteristics are most important to you when you're picking out a shade tree? Easy care? Dappled summer shade? Gorgeous fall color? Yes, yes and yes! Chinese Pistache Tree (Pistacia chinensis) does all of this and so much more!

Sometimes known as the "Ugly Duckling" tree, this tree is actually highly regarded as one of the most beautiful, pest-free, and easily maintained shade trees on the market today! Called an ugly duckling because young trees go through an awkward-teenager phase, but as they grow, the Chinese Pistache becomes a beautifully open rounded umbrella-like canopy that is steeped in color!

The pinnately compound leaves are lustrous green during the summer months, and transform into dramatic shades of orange and red in the fall! Plus you will enjoy the exfoliating bark for winter interest.

Native to Afghanistan China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and related to Pistachio trees, the Pistache can be either male or female. Both trees develop showy clumps of red flowers before the leaves emerge, forming clusters right on the bare branches themselves, but only the female trees (if a male tree is present for pollination) will you see nut-like clusters of berries.

If there is a pollinator nearby, the Chinese Pistache will give you tons of brilliant red berries that turn deep purple over the winter. These are not edible like the Pistachio and aren't safe for human consumption, but the birds go crazy for them! They are a great food source when other bird food is scarce in the coldest months!

Landscape Application:

Chinese Pistache is a very hardy tree that grows in just about any condition - hardscrabble soil at new-build construction sites, urban neighborhoods in sidewalk tree rings, and near walks and drives because of its deep, yet well-behaved roots that won't lift the concrete. It handles pollution, xeric sites, drought, and poor soil. The only places it struggles to perform are in a shady location and clay/wet soils as it needs good drainage)

So with that - we give you license to plant this gem anywhere you need a tough tree that handles about everything!

Plant one as a specimen in your front yard or a whole row along a drive! - they grow so uniformly at maturity that people will think you've pruned them to match! A single focal point or grouping to create a grove in your backyard becomes a slice of paradise by casting lush cooling shade! Situate one by your home where you can reduce cooling bills while adding dramatic texture and color to your home's curb appeal!

Do keep these trees a little ways away from your seating area chairs, cars, and pavement as the berries can be a bit messy (on female trees anyway). However, the seeds provide food for small wildlife, and birds while the flowers provide food for pollinators.

• Lacy Compound Glossy Green Leaves
• Aromatic Foliage When Crushed
• Showy Clusters of Red Flowers Before Leaves Emerge
• Dramatic Red & Orange Fall Color
• Red/Purple Decorative Fruit For Birds On Female Trees
• Exfoliating Bark For Winter Interest
• Well Behaved Roots!
• Shade Trees, Lawn Specimens & Wildlife-Friendly Groves

#ProPlantTips for Care:

These deciduous trees need full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Tolerating about any kind of soil as long as it is well-drained and never soggy, provide regular moisture access while young trees are establishing. But once they are settled, these fast-to-establish trees will become wonderfully xeric and drought tolerant!

All plants appreciate a 3-4 inch deep layer of arborist bark chips around their roots. The only maintenance you'll need to perform on the Chinese Pistache is an early spring trim to correct growth and remove any winter dieback. Do so before you see new growth emerge in the spring.

• Full Sun Deciduous Tree
• Any Well-Drained Soil - Clay, Acidic or Alkaline
• Regular Moisture Needs When Young - Xeric & Drought Resistant Once Established
• Prune Early Spring Before New Growth/Flowers
• Trees Are Either Male or Female
• Hardy, Adaptable & Long-Lived

Order an easy-to-grow shade tree with great fall color! If you need a hardy tree that handles nearly everything thrown at it, the Chinese Pistache is one of the best on the market today. Why wait? Order yours now at NatureHills.com!