The Red Push Pistache (Pistacia x ‘Red Push’) is an ornamental tree valued for its striking appearance and resilience. This hybrid offers vibrant fall foliage, transitioning through red, orange, and yellow. Understanding its growth rate is important for landscape planning, allowing gardeners to anticipate its development and ensure successful integration into outdoor spaces.
Red Push Pistache Growth Overview
The Red Push Pistache typically exhibits a moderate to fast growth rate, averaging one to three feet per year once established. Young trees may demonstrate slower growth during their first two to three years as they focus on root development. As the tree establishes a robust root system, its growth accelerates and becomes more consistent. This cultivar benefits from hybrid vigor.
Key Factors Affecting Growth
Several environmental and cultural elements influence the growth rate of the Red Push Pistache. Adequate sunlight exposure is important, with full sun (at least six hours daily) preferred for optimal development and color. While it can tolerate some partial shade, its growth and vibrant foliage are best in sunny locations.
The Red Push Pistache thrives in well-draining soil. It adapts to various compositions, including poor or desert soils, but is susceptible to root rot if waterlogged. Optimal growth occurs in loamy or sandy soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Water availability is crucial, especially during the tree’s establishment phase. Consistent watering is necessary in the first growing season to foster a deep, extensive root system. Once established, it becomes highly drought-tolerant, requiring minimal, deep, and infrequent watering. Its ability to withstand intense heat and cold, coupled with its adaptability to desert climates, contributes to its successful growth in diverse regions.
Promoting Healthy Growth
To encourage optimal growth, proper planting techniques are fundamental. Plant the tree at the same depth as its root ball, ensuring the top is level with the surrounding soil surface. Allowing adequate space, typically 20-25 feet between trees, accommodates their mature size and promotes healthy development.
A consistent watering schedule is important, especially during the tree’s initial establishment period. Deep watering when the soil is dry helps encourage deep root growth. After the first year, deep, infrequent watering is sufficient, such as every 10-14 days in hot summer months and less frequently in cooler periods.
Fertilization is often unnecessary, as these trees are accustomed to less fertile soils. However, a general-purpose fertilizer applied in early spring, or a nitrogen-based fertilizer for young trees, can be beneficial if growth seems insufficient. Minimal pruning is generally recommended to maintain the tree’s structure and overall health, with early pruning helping to develop a balanced canopy and proper branch spacing.
Mature Tree Characteristics
Upon reaching maturity, the Red Push Pistache transforms into a substantial and visually appealing tree. It typically attains a height of 25 to 40 feet with a broad, rounded canopy spread of 20 to 40 feet. This dense canopy provides considerable shade, making it a desirable feature in many landscapes.
The foliage undergoes a striking seasonal transformation; new leaves emerge with a distinctive copper-red tint in spring before maturing to a rich dark green throughout the summer. In autumn, the tree showcases a spectacular display of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows, with the intensity of these colors often influenced by abrupt temperature drops. As a non-fruiting male hybrid, it does not produce the messy seeds associated with some other pistache varieties.