Pistachio tree (Pistacia vera) PETERS

Hardy male pistachio tree known for efficiently pollinating the Kerman pistachio tree and several other female varieties. It prefers sandy-loamy, limestone soils that are deep and well-drained. The pistachio tree thrives particularly well in a continental Mediterranean climate with long, dry, and hot summers and dry, quite cold winters.

Origin: male variety of pistachio tree originating from Iran
Rootstock: UCB1 (Pistacia atlantica x Pistacia integerrima), obtained by sowing seeds, hardy hybrid developed at the University of California Berkeley. Although less tolerant than other rootstocks to drought, cold, and salinity stress, it is valued as a pistachio rootstock because of its resistance to Verticillium dahliae. This hybrid Pistacia species is considered to be the most reliable source of resistance to soil pathogens to date.
Vigour: vigorous. It has an upright habit and can reach a height of 5 to 6 m with a spread of 3 to 3.5 m. Its foliage is deciduous. Overall, it appreciates the same growing conditions as other Mediterranean fruit trees.
Blossom: excellent pollinator for the Kerman female variety. The Peters pistachio tree only bears male flowers and does not produce fruits. It flowers quite young, around the age of 4 years. Its flowering, which lasts for 3 weeks between April and May, mostly escapes frost in its cultivation zone and overlaps with that of various female varieties. The abundant pollen is carried by the wind. To ensure satisfactory pollination, it is essential to determine the direction of the prevailing wind when planting pistachio trees. It should be planted in front of the female pistachio tree, facing the prevailing wind, so the pollen is carried to the female inflorescences. One Peters plant will pollinate 5 to 8 female pistachio trees.
Disease resistance: reliably resists attack by pests and fungal diseases, no chemical protection is required during vegetation
Frost resistance: the mature tree is hardy to -15°C (USDA zone 7b). Young plants must be protected from frost during the first two winters.
Planting and care: the tree should always be planted in a sunny, well-ventilated, and airy location. It requires deep, well-drained, sandy-loamy, neutral to alkaline soil. To ensure a good start, it is important to plant it in deeply worked soil to allow its roots to descend more quickly, and to water it deeply but infrequently from planting until the first two summers. Young plants need support to establish firmly roots. Adding potassium and magnesium can be beneficial, as well as applying organic fertiliser in late winter. Pruning of 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.

The wild Pistacia vera is native to Central Asia, particularly Iran and Turkestan. In these mountainous, harsh, arid regions, which are very hot in summer and cold and dry in winter, it survives in the form of sparse and residual forests called wooded steppes. The cultivation of the pistachio tree dates back approximately 4000 years. It originated in the northern part of present-day Iraq and then spread to all Mediterranean regions under the influence of the Romans. This tree, emblematic of Mediterranean civilization, along with the almond tree, the olive tree, and the pomegranate tree, is once again being considered. Its low water requirements, as well as its high added value, attract the attention of agronomists and farmers who see it as a tree of the future in the face of climate change. The true Pistachio tree belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, just like the mango tree, and the cashew tree.