Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Chinese Pistache
Chinese Pistache is a shade tree with some of the best fall color of any tree in Phoenix. Its leaves turn red, orange and yellow from late November into January. Its rounded canopy of fine leaves gives dense summer shade, then drops so winter sun reaches the house. It grows 30 to 40 feet tall. Female trees carry small red berries that birds love.
Best for: summer shade that lets winter sun through, true fall color in the low desert, and streets, lawns and patios.
Its leaves turn red, orange and yellow from late November into January in Phoenix, peaking around December. Few trees color this well in the Valley.
A dense, rounded canopy shades the yard all summer. The leaves drop in winter, letting sun reach the house and patio.
It grows 30 to 40 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide, with no serious disease problems. Space trees about 20 feet apart.
Young trees look gangly for a few years before they round out, so they need patient structural pruning. It does poorly in shallow soil over caliche.
- Trees in a row20 ft apart
- Street or yard trees20 ft or more apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly by the second month, and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years. Once rooted, water every 7 to 10 days in summer, tapering to about monthly in winter.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball and soft, wide ties that let the trunk sway. Remove them after about a year.
Do careful structural pruning in its early years, and raise the lower branches slowly. Prune in winter while it is bare, and never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year.
It grows best in deep soil that drains well. Avoid shallow soil and caliche, or break through the caliche before planting.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
When does Chinese pistache change color in Phoenix?
It colors from late November into January, with the brightest show around December. Plant it where you will see it from the house.
How big does it get?
It grows about 30 to 40 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide. Space trees about 20 feet apart.
How much water does it need?
Once rooted, water every 7 to 10 days in summer, tapering to about once a month in winter. Water regularly for the first two summers.
Does it drop berries?
Female trees carry clusters of small red berries that turn blue. People cannot eat them, but birds love them.
Why does my young pistache look awkward?
Young trees are often gangly for a few years, then round out into an oval shape. Do careful structural pruning early and be patient.
How cold hardy is it?
It is very cold hardy, to about 0°F or colder, so it grows at every Valley elevation.
What soil does it need?
It needs deep soil that drains. Avoid shallow soil and caliche, which it does not like.
How is it different from Red Push Pistache?
Red Push is a cross of two other pistache species with red new growth in spring. Chinese pistache is the species, known for its late fall color and berries on female trees.
Can Chinese pistache bother allergies?
Yes. Pollen from male trees can bother people with allergies.
Is Chinese pistache messy?
It drops its leaves in late fall after the color show, and female trees drop berries. Expect some seasonal cleanup under it.
Chinese Pistache for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Chinese Pistache is one of the best fall-color trees for the Valley, with dense summer shade that opens up in winter. Below: size, water, fall color timing, berries, young-tree shape and cold.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Best fall color tree for Phoenix
Chinese pistache has some of the best fall color of any tree in Phoenix, turning red, orange and yellow from late November into January.
Chinese pistache size
It grows about 30 to 40 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide, with a rounded canopy.
Watering Chinese pistache in the desert
Once it is rooted, water it every 7 to 10 days in summer, tapering to about monthly in winter.
Chinese pistache berries
Female trees carry small red berries that turn blue, and birds love them.
Why young Chinese pistache look awkward
Young trees are often gangly for a few years before rounding out, and early structural pruning helps.
Chinese pistache vs Red Push Pistache
Red Push is a cross with red new growth in spring. Chinese pistache is the species, with late fall color and berries on female trees.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.