Pistachio
Pistacia vera
Needs hot summers, a cold winter, and male and female trees.
Hardiness: zones 7 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 20 ft tall, 20 ft wide
Harvest: September to October
From: Central Asia
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Native to: Central Asian steppe. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.
The story
Pistachios have been eaten in Persia and Central Asia since the Stone Age and were a luxury of the Roman table; the Queen of Sheba is said to have kept the crop for her court. California planted its first commercial groves in the 1970s from 'Kerman' and now rivals Iran.
Planting
Full sun, hot dry summers, cold winters for chill, and deep, drained, even alkaline soil. Plant one male for every eight females; grafted trees take five to seven years.
Growing
Deep, infrequent watering; drought-hardy but crops better with summer water. Prune in winter to an open vase. Alternate bearing is normal.
Harvest and use
Hulls turn from green to rosy and slip off easily in late summer; shake the tree, hull within a day, and dry the nuts in the sun.
What to watch for
Humid summers, which bring blight; navel orangeworm; wet feet.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home