Pistachio

Pistacia vera L.

Tree Nut
MAJOR FOOD ALLERGEN (FDA)
Dioecious

Pet & Human Safety

People: Toxic to peoplePets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Human edibility

Edible

Edible parts

seed (the 'nut')

Hazardous parts

the nut itself, for people with a tree nut allergy; nuts that are moldy or poorly stored (aflatoxin)

Preparation

typically roasted and shelled before eating; properly dried/stored to avoid mold

Hazard type

food allergy: tree nuts are a major food allergen under US food labeling law (FDA), and pistachio is named as a tree nut allergen in an NIH-hosted review, aflatoxin contamination from Aspergillus molds on nuts that are poorly dried or stored (FDA lists pistachios among the tree nuts prone to it): a handling and storage hazard, not a toxin the plant makes

Hazard route

ingestion (allergy, aflatoxin)

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

No pet-toxicity verdict is recorded for pistachio: ASPCA has no page for it, and absence from that list is not a statement that it is safe. For people, tree nuts are a major food allergen under US food labeling law (FDA), and an NIH-hosted review names pistachio as one of the tree nuts that cause allergy. Pistachio belongs to the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), which also includes poison ivy; no university or government source used for this guide confirms a skin-contact risk from pistachio shells or hulls, so none is claimed here. See the hazard information below.

Patent / trademark

not applicable

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: Utah State University Extension lists hardiness zones 4 to 9 for pistachio. The UC ANR home-gardener calendar says the tree needs about 850 hours below 45 F between November 1 and March 30, warm dry weather from July to early September for the kernels to mature, and tolerates short periods of winter cold down to about 27 F, though early fall and spring frosts can injure leaves and flowers. Those figures come from a California-type climate; no university or extension source used for this guide addresses growing it in a humid subtropical climate, so that should not be assumed.
Mature size: Utah State University Extension gives a mature height of up to about 30 feet.
Family: Anacardiaceae (cashew family; also includes mango, cashew, and poison ivy/sumac)
Where it comes from: Western Asia and Asia Minor, according to the UC Fruit & Nut Research & Information Center. Utah State University Extension words it more loosely, calling the tree probably native to Asia and long grown in Asia Minor and the Mediterranean region.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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