Chinese Pistache
No. in Woodland Park: 2
No. in good health: 0
No. in fair health: 2
No. in poor health: 0
Pistacia chinensis (English: Chinese pistache; Chinese: 黄连木; pinyin: huángliánmù) is a small to medium-sized tree in the genus Pistacia in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, native to central and western China. It is hardy, can withstand harsh conditions and poor quality soils, and grows up to 20 m. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, pinnate, 20-25 cm long, with 10 or 12 leaflets, the terminal leaflet usually absent. The flowers are produced in panicles 15-20 cm long at the ends of the branches; it is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The fruit is a small red drupe, turning blue when ripe, containing a single seed. This species is planted as a street tree in temperate areas worldwide due to its attractive fruit and autumn foliage.
Horticulturally, it is a popular choice for street trees in urban settings because it is very drought tolerant and can survive harsh environments. It is also used as an understock for Pistacia vera. In China, the oil from the seeds is used for biodiesel production. The wood is used for production of furniture and yields a yellow dye.
