Pistachio

Pistacia vera

Long-lived Mediterranean / Central Asian nut tree with extreme tolerance for drought, salt, and heat — and an absolute requirement for cold winters.

Hardiness ratings

Pistachio hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 7–11 −17.8 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H5 −15 °C to −10 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 7–9 −12 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 3–7 −5 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Needs ~600–1000 chilling hours below 7 °C — fails to set nuts in mild-winter climates
  • Dioecious — a male plant pollinates 8–12 females; nut-bearing begins 7–10 years from planting

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Pistachio against your zones

Reference

Pistachio on Wikipedia