Herb: Chinese Pistache


Latin name: Pistacia chinensis


Family: Pistaciaceae



Medicinal use of Chinese Pistache:

Resin from the related P. lentiscus is analgesic, antitussive, expectorant and sedative. It would be worthwhile examining this species.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
9 m
(30 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Riversides and in cultivated areas up to 2400 metres in the Himalayas.

Edible parts of Chinese Pistache:

Young shoots and leaves - cooked. Used as a vegetable. Seed - cooked. It is roasted and then eaten, or is used in confectionery.

Other uses of the herb:

The plant can be used as a rootstock for the pistachio nut, P. vera. Wood - hard, durable. Used in furniture making and carpentry.

Propagation of Chinese Pistache:

Pre-soak the seed for 16 hours in alkalized water, or for 3 - 4 days in warm water, and sow late winter in a cold frame or greenhouse. Two months cold stratification may speed up germination, so it might be better to sow the seed in early winter. The germination is variable and can be slow. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on the plants for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer and consider giving some protection from winter cold for their first year or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood from juvenile trees, July in a frame. Layering.

Cultivation of the herb:

Riversides and in cultivated areas up to 2400 metres in the Himalayas.

Known hazards of Pistacia chinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.