Pistachio are beautiful, deciduous, hardy trees. They grow to about 5m if unpruned. Regular trimming in winter and summer will keep trees to a manageable size for easy netting.

Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees, so plant two trees to get pollination and fruit set. Space trees at between 2m and 4m apart in most gardens.

The ripening fruit bunches are an attractive pink colour which enhances the look of the tree during the summer ripening period. The nuts are ready to pick in late February.

Growing conditions:

Pistachio trees are quite tolerant of limestone, sandy and clay soils as long as they are not waterlogged for an extended time. They become very drought hardy although nut yield will increase if trees are watered. They will grow on water that may be too salty for many other trees.