Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Red Push Pistache
Red Push pistache is a big, tough shade tree named for its push of copper-red new leaves each spring. The leaves turn dark green for summer shade, then yellow, orange, and red in fall. It's a cross of two pistache trees, sets no edible nuts, and handles desert heat and cold to about 0°F.
Best for: a summer shade tree, fall color in the desert, and winter sun on the house once the leaves drop.
Mature trees grow a broad, dense canopy that throws real shade over a yard or patio. Plan for a tree about 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Give it 20 feet or more from other trees.
It is one of the few desert shade trees with real fall color. The leaves go red and orange after a sharp cold snap and mostly yellow in a mild fall. Plant it where you can see it from the house or street.
It drops its leaves in winter, which lets warm sun reach the house and patio when you want it. Plant it where you want summer shade over a patio or window, and you get winter sun there too.
It gets big and can overwhelm a small yard. It drops its leaves every fall and female trees drop small seeds, so keep it back from pools and gutters. Plant it in soil that drains well, since wet soil invites root disease.
- Row of trees20 ft or more apart, center to center
- Single shade tree20 ft or more from other trees
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 in summer by the second month. Keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years.
Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter. Water at the drip line, not the trunk.
Take off the nursery stake at planting. Stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball with soft, wide ties, and remove them after about a year.
Prune in winter while the tree is bare. Raise the canopy slowly over several years. Never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year.
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.
How big does Red Push pistache get?
Plan on about 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide at maturity. Plant it with that full width in mind, well away from the house.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly for the first couple of years, then at a moderate pace once the roots settle. Young trees look open and lanky before the canopy fills in.
Does it get fall color in Phoenix?
Yes. How red it turns depends on how fast fall cools off, so a sudden cold snap brings red and orange while a mild fall turns it mostly yellow. Plant it in full sun for the best color.
Is Red Push the same as Chinese pistache?
No. Red Push is a cross of two pistache trees, and Chinese pistache is only related to it. Red Push sets no nuts and resists the verticillium wilt that can kill Chinese pistache.
Does it make pistachios?
No, it is an ornamental pistache and sets no edible nuts. Female trees can set small seeds instead, so expect a little seed litter under them.
How much water does it need?
It needs little water once established. Water on a new-tree schedule the first year, then deeply and not often in the warm months. Once rooted, a deep soak about once a month is enough in winter.
Is it cold hardy?
Yes, it is hardy to about 0°F and grows across the low and high deserts. It needs no frost cover in the Valley.
When should I plant it?
Fall is best, since it gives the roots three seasons before summer. Early spring is the second choice.
Does it need pruning?
Yes, while it is young. Young trees have a sparse, open canopy, so stake them the first year if needed and prune to build a strong, even canopy.
Is it messy?
It drops its leaves every fall, and female trees drop small seeds, so plan on raking. Keep it away from pools and gutters.
How far apart should I plant Red Push pistache?
Give each tree 20 feet or more from other trees, in a row or on its own. The Spacing tab on this page counts trees for your yard.
Does it get verticillium wilt?
Red Push was selected to resist verticillium wilt, a soil disease that can kill Chinese pistache. Plant it in soil that drains well and avoid soggy ground to keep it healthy.
Red Push Pistache for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Red Push pistache is one of the few big shade trees in Arizona with real fall color. It pushes red new leaves in spring, shades hard all summer, and turns yellow, orange, and red in fall. Below are the questions people ask most about growing it here.
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.
How big does Red Push pistache get in Arizona?
Plan on 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. It grows slowly for the first couple of years, then speeds up to a moderate pace.
Why is my pistache fall color different every year?
Fall color depends on how quickly it cools off. A sharp cold snap brings red and orange, and a mild fall brings mostly yellow. Nothing is wrong with the tree.
What is the difference between Red Push and Chinese pistache?
Red Push is a cross of two pistache trees, not a Chinese pistache. It sets no nuts and resists verticillium wilt, a soil disease that can kill Chinese pistache.
How often do you water Red Push pistache?
Follow a new-tree schedule the first year, stretching the time between waterings. After that, water deeply and not often in the warm months. Established trees need no winter water.
How do you plant and stake a young pistache?
Plant it in fall or early spring. Dig three times as wide as the root ball and backfill with the native soil. Stake young trees if they need it, since they grow tall and thin at first.
How do you prune a young pistache tree?
Young trees branch unevenly at first. Prune in winter while it is bare to pick strong branches, and the canopy fills in better as it grows.
Is Red Push pistache messy?
It drops its leaves every fall, and female trees drop small seeds, so plan on some cleanup. Keep it clear of pools and gutters.
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