Start growing
Arid climate. Do not overwater. Saline soil okay.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Pistachio
Pistacia vera
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Pistachio care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Pistacia vera
- Common names
- Green Almond
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Genus
- Pistacia
- Species
- P. vera
Growing with your kit
Seeds In A Cup® teaches desert adaptation with this drought-hardy seed.
Propagation
Budding on rootstock.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Requires hot summers and cold winters.
Growing conditions
Desert regions.
Weather & tolerances
Drought, heat, and salt tolerant.
Pests & plant health
Navel orangeworm.
Plant safety
Member of Cashew/Sumac family (urushiol traces in sap).
Botanical features
Small desert tree. Dioecious (needs male and female). Shell naturally splits when ripe.
Varieties
‘Kerman’, ‘Peters’ (Male).
Garden & everyday uses
Snack nut, ice cream, baklava
Native range & distribution
Native to Central Asia (Iran/Afghanistan).
Conservation
Secure.
Name origins
Persian ‘pisteh’.
History
Queen of Sheba reportedly decreed pistachios were an exclusively royal food.