Description

General aspect and origins - Pistacia vera, also known as the pistachio, is a decidious tree that is native to Central Asia, and which has spread to regions such as the Mediterranean zone, the United States and Iran. The pistachio is a small to medium sized tree that can reach 33 ft (10 m) high. It bears greenish flowers in spring, and edible nuts, the pistachios.
Leaves - The pistachio has a decidious foliage. Leaves are pinnate.
Flowers - The pistachio bears green flowers in spring. This tree is dioecious, which means that at least one male and one female tree will be required for nut production.
Fruits - The pistachio is a nut with a woody shell which partially splits when ripe. The nut is greenish, and has a soft aroma.
Pistachio nuts may be roasted and salted, and are used in ice creams, sweets, cakes, and meat dishes. This nut is nutritive and contains copper, magnesium and potassium.

Culture

The pistachio is a drought tolerant tree. It is also frost hardy, and will withstand negative temperatures of about 0°F to -10°F (-18°C to -24°C). But flowers may be frozen in spring with slightly negative temperatures. To break dormancy and produce well, this tree needs some period below 45°F (7°C). This period is estimated to about 1000 hours.
Soil - The pistachio needs a well-drained ground. It tolerates both slightly alcaline or saline grounds. This tree is fairly drought resistant, but requires water to produce well.

Propagation

The pistachio may be propagated by seeds, but grafting is the common propagation technique. It may be grafted onto seedling pistachios, or onto close species such as Pistacia terebinthus, Pistacia atlantica, Pistacia intergerrima and Pistacia x palaestina which is an hybrid of pistachio and Pistacia terebinthus.