You will marvel at its dark green foliage, red fruit that turns a midnight blue, attractive exfoliating bark, and dazzling fall colors, medium to large size with a full canopy, and pollution resistance all add up to make this a fantastic tree with little downside other than it takes some time to come into its own.
Light
Planting your tree in a spot that receives full sun will ensure its at its healthiest and let it grow at a steady rate while producing an ample amount of its attractive fruit. You will notice a marked fall back in growth if it is planted in shadier conditions.
Soil
While the species is somewhat adaptable when it comes to soil conditions it will benefit from being planted in an area with good moisture content, rich in organics, and well-draining soil. It is very adaptable in regard to soil pH.
Water
The Chinese pistache is an ideal candidate to plant if you are considering xeriscaping or planning a water-wise garden. It is highly drought tolerant and does not need supplemental watering past the point of establishment. At planting, you will want to set up a watering routine for the first two years to get your tree to establish a good strong root system. Help this along by mulching around the base of the tree at a depth of 2 to 3 inches out to the dripline, but without touching the trunk of the tree. This will enable the tree to hold moisture longer between waterings. When watering a good rule of thumb is 1 gallon per inch of trunk diameter measured at chest height for the first two years. Taper this off and then let Mother Nature take charge.
Temperature and Humidity
Hardiness to the warm dry weather is the much-appreciated trait of the Chinese pistache that allows it to be used in arid climates like the American Southwest with ease. Unfortunately, it is not incredibly cold hardy and will only tolerate mild winters and light freezing temperatures. If placed in the colder reaches of its habitable zones consider a sheltered area out of direct winds. Strictly adhering to the USDA zones of 6 through 9 is a good idea even in micro-climates with this species.
Fertilizer
Already a fast growing tree, you should not see much a need to give your tree fertilizer. If your Chinese pistache seems to be lagging a bit in its growth, first test the soil to determine what, if any, nutrient deficiencies are present in your soil and then apply a fertilizer with the proper NPK formulation to fix the issue.
Types of Chinese Pistache
While an excellent tree in its own right, the nursery trade has created several cultivars of Pistacia chinensis to highlight some of its already outstanding attributes. Here is a list of some of the more popular cultivars:
Pistacia chinensis ‘Sarah’s Radiance’ is a grafted cultivar that makes an excellent shade tree with astounding fall color.Pistacia chinensis ‘Keith Davey’ is a non-fruiting male cultivar of the species that exhibits insanely bright orange fall foliage.Pistacia chinensis ‘Pearl Street’ is a very fast-growing seedless variety with an upright form.
Pruning
When you purchase your tree from the nursery your plant most likely will not have the preparatory pruning required to establish aesthetically pleasing trunk and branch structure. That will be your job and you will see at first glance that the Chinese pistache looks a bit… gangly. You will need to train it and give it a make-over that will take a few years to come together, but it will be worth it. On first inspection, you will notice your young tree will most likely be all trunk and few branches, and what branches there are they will be bunched together. You are going to work to develop a single trunk and multiple lateral branches. Your first step is to pick one of the branches to be the trunk, another to be a branch and then remove the rest. Allow your awkward tree to grow up a bit about 18 inches or so and remove the top of the trunk forcing the trunk to develop more branches. Once another bunch has grown pick two and repeat in a circular fashion until you have the desired rounded crown.
Propagation
The easiest method of propagating Chinese pistache is by taking softwood cuttings. You will need a sharp knife, rooting hormone, a small pot, a soilless potting mix (sand, peat, and vermiculite are a great mix), and some water.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Luckily the Chinese pistache is, for the most part, free from serious pests and disease. One disease that occasionally infects the tree is Verticillium wilt. If your area is known to harbor the fungus or you have had issues with it in your garden, you might consider another tree as there is no cure for this nasty disease, and prevention is the best course of action. You can help prevent it by properly cleaning your garden tools with Lysol, bleach, or alcohol solutions.
