Walk
back to 
Chinese Pistache
(Pistacia chinensis)
BETWEEN COMMUNICATIONS AND ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM (NORTH)
|
|
|
|
| Walk
back to
|
|
Chinese Pistache |
|
(Pistacia chinensis) |
|
BETWEEN COMMUNICATIONS AND ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM (NORTH) |
| 46 | This is an excellent deciduous shade tree for this region and one of the few that produce bright Autumn color in Arizona. Female trees have handsome purple berries which last into winter after the leaves have dropped. |
| In Depth | Pistacia chinensis, Chinese Pistache |
| Location: BETWEEN COMMUNICATIONS AND ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM (NORTH) | |
| Family: Anacardiaceae | |
| Distribution: China, Philippine Islands, and Taiwan | |
| Habitat: arid regions | |
| Habit: large, broadly crowned deciduous tree | |
| Flowering: small green to red flowers in the spring | |
| Natural History Notes: This tree, although a distant relative of the Pistachio, does not provide an edible nut. The species name refers to its native region of China. Distinguishing Characteristics: A deciduous tree reaching 60 feet in height with a spread of 25-35 feet. It is a fast growing tree with a rounded-oval canopy and dense foliage. The wood in mature trees is salmon in color with gray-brown bark. The leaves are alternate and 1 ½ feet long with leaflets in 6-10 pairs reaching 1-2 ½ inches long and ¾ an inch wide. The leaves have a very distinct odor when crushed and turn red to reddish-orange in the fall. The flowers are unisexual, small, aromatic, and green to red in loose panicles. They produce a reddish brown, dry fruit in drupes to 1 ½ inches long. The fruit appears in showy panicles in the fall. Human Uses: The P. chinensis is used mainly as an ornamental or shade tree in parks and along streets, though, the fruit does create quite a mess on the pavement. |