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Duo of Pistachio trees - Pistacia vera Kerman (female), Peters (male)

Pistacia vera Kerman, Peters
Pistachio

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Collection contains 2 plants

  • 1 x Pistacia vera Kerman
  • 1 x Pistacia vera Peters

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

A duo of pistachio trees composed of the famous 'Kerman' (female) and 'Peters' (male) varieties, the latter being essential for pollinating the former. The fruit, with its fleshy shell, takes on flamboyant hues in late summer. Inside, you will find the delicious pistachio. The fruit-bearing pistachio tree is a tree that thrives and only bears fruit satisfactorily in a Mediterranean climate with a continental or semi-mountain tendency.
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -15°C
Soil type
Clayey-chalky (heavy and alkaline), Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Best planting time October to November
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November
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F
M
A
M
J
J
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S
O
N
D
Flowering time April
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Harvest time August to September
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Collection items (2 plants)

Description

This pair of male 'Peters' and female 'Kerman' pistachio trees allows for a bountiful harvest of pistachios in late summer. They should be planted in the garden with the male tree positioned so that the prevailing wind carries its pollen to the flowers of the female tree. The pistachio tree is a small tree with clear requirements for climate and soil: it prefers sandy-loamy, limestone soils that are deep and well-drained, and thrives particularly well in a continental Mediterranean climate where summers are long, dry, and hot, and winters are dry and quite cold. Planting is best done in autumn.

The pair consists of:

- x 1 Female 'Kerman' Pistachio Tree: the most widely cultivated variety of pistachio, prized for its hardiness and productivity. The tree blooms abundantly around mid-April and produces large clusters of round, large fruits that become vibrant when ripe, between late August and September. Beneath the fleshy, aromatic, and highly coloured "skin" lies a large, green, nutritious, and tasty nut, protected by a whitish skin that hardens and opens when ripe. This is what we consume, fresh or roasted, salted or unsalted. The mature tree is hardy down to -15°C, and it blooms around mid-April. The first harvests will be possible on trees aged 5 to 6 years. The harvest can be more or less abundant depending on the year, or sometimes even absent.

- x 1 Male 'Peters' Pistachio Tree: an excellent pollinator for 'Kerman' and several other female varieties. The tree is hardy down to -15°C, heat-resistant (up to 45°C), vigorous, and it blooms quite young, around the age of 4 years. Its flowering, which lasts for 3 weeks between April and May, usually avoids the frost in its cultivation zone and overlaps with that of various female varieties. One tree can pollinate 5 to 8 female pistachio trees.

The true pistachio tree (Pistacia vera) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, just like Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic Tree) and P. terebinthus, the mango tree and the cashew nut tree. It is a dioecious tree, meaning that there are female trees (like 'Kerman') and male trees (like 'Peters'). Its growth is slow, but it can live for several centuries. Seedling trees do not bear fruit until the age of 8-10 years. Grafting can shorten this period by about 3 years. The most common rootstocks are UCB1, Pistacia terebinthus, and its hybrid with P. lentiscus called P. x saportae.

The pistachio tree is a deciduous tree that can reach a height of 4 to 6 m with a spread of 3 to 5 m. Its habit is slightly weeping in female pistachio trees, but upright in male trees. The leaves are compound, with 3 to 5 (7) broad, fairly dark green leaflets. The flowering occurs before the appearance of leaves, in spring. Male trees have dense clusters of flowers, while female trees have large, slightly loose, and trailing clusters. The abundant pollen is carried by the wind.

For pollination to be successful, it is essential to determine the direction of the prevailing wind when planting pistachio trees. It is also necessary to choose a compatible pollinator that will flower with the female trees. One male tree can pollinate 4 to 7 female trees.

The female 'Kerman' pistachio tree is pollinated by the wind: it is imperative to plant the male 'Kerman' tree facing the prevailing wind, in front of the female tree, so that its pollen is carried to the inflorescences of the latter. Prepare a large planting hole (50 cm in all directions) and space the trees 2 metres apart. The flowering of the pistachio tree is sensitive to frost, as well as to excessive moisture. Rain at the wrong time can compromise pollination. This fruit tree should always be planted in a sunny, well-ventilated, and airy location, never in damp, confined, or dark areas. A well-exposed slope seems ideal.

While not demanding, the female 'Kerman' pistachio tree will be more productive in soil that is not too poor. Adding potassium and magnesium can be beneficial, as well as applying organic fertiliser in late winter. To limit the alternate bearing phenomenon (fruit production every two or three years), it is useful to water the tree in spring, especially if it does not rain.

In favourable climate and soil conditions, this pair of pistachio trees can be planted in an orchard or in a large, free-growing, flowering, and edible hedge. On either side of the two pistachio trees, to avoid hindering pollination, you can plant, for example, the blackthorn, the bird cherry, the wild apple tree, the male cornel 'Jolico', or even strawberry trees.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 6 m
Growth rate normal

Fruit

Fruit colour red
Fruit diameter 1 cm
Flavour Sweet
Use Table, Patisserie, Cooking
Harvest time August to September

Flowering

Flower colour green
Flowering time April
Flower size 20 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Pistacia

Species

vera

Cultivar

Kerman, Peters

Family

Anacardiaceae

Other common names

Pistachio

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference22634

Planting and care

Plant pistachio trees during the frost-free period, preferably in autumn.

The fruit-bearing pistachio tree thrives in a Mediterranean climate, with a tendency towards continental or semi-mountain climates: it needs long, hot and dry summers, as well as dry winters that are cold enough to induce flowering. It requires well-drained soil, as its roots are sensitive to fungal diseases. The soil in which it is planted should be deep, loamy-sandy, with a tendency towards limestone. The tree also adapts to more rocky terrain. An adult specimen can withstand brief frosts of -14 to -15 °C in very well-drained soil. Once well established, it can tolerate summer drought. To ensure a good start, care should be taken to plant it in deeply worked soil to allow its roots to descend more quickly, and it should be watered deeply but infrequently, from planting through the first two summers. In areas that are not too cold, it is best to plant it in early autumn, while in areas close to the limit of hardiness, planting in early spring is better. It is advisable to protect young specimens with a winter cover if significant frosts are forecast during the first two winters. This pistachio tree likes limestone, but it also tolerates slightly acidic soils. Staking may be necessary for young plants.

The female pistachio tree is pollinated by the wind: it is imperative to plant the male tree facing the prevailing wind so that its pollen is carried to the inflorescences of the female tree. It should be noted that the flowering of the pistachio tree is sensitive to frost, as well as to excessive humidity. Rain at the wrong time can compromise pollination. This tree should always be planted in a sunny, well-ventilated and airy location, never in damp, confined, dark, low-lying areas. A well-exposed slope seems ideal.

Although it is not very demanding, the female pistachio tree will be more productive in soil that is not too poor. The addition of potash and magnesium can be beneficial, as well as the application of organic fertiliser in late winter. To limit the phenomenon of alternate bearing (fruit production every two or three years), it is useful to water the tree in spring, especially if it does not rain.

Planting period

Best planting time October to November
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Hedge, Orchard
Region concerned Corse, Zone méditerranéenne, dite de l’olivier
Hardiness Hardy down to -15°C (USDA zone 7b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Planting density 1 per m2
Planting spacing Every 200 cm
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Clayey-chalky (heavy and alkaline), Silty-loamy (rich and light), loose, drained, fertile

Care

Pruning instructions Pruning the fruit-bearing pistachio tree is not obligatory, as it does not like it much and heals poorly. However, a light pruning can be done in January-February. Dead wood is removed at the end of winter.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time January to March
Soil moisture Tolerant
Disease resistance Average
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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