Once the weather cools off, I'll be planting a few trees in my yard. One I am seriously considering, but not quite sold on, is the Mastic Tree (Pistacia lentiscus).

If anyone living in the Phoenix metro area has this tree, would you be willing to share your experiences with it? Most sources say it's evergreen - does it really keep its leaves year round? It seems there are many 'evergreen' trees that don't quite live up to the name. :-)

I've read conflicting info regarding the litter, too. Some sources say low, others report moderate. How clean is it? I don't mind some leaf drop, but I really don't want a lot of seeds and flower drop.

What about pests and diseases? Has the tree been relatively trouble free? Or is it always a battle keeping it healthy and looking good?

Would love to hear your experiences growing this tree.

Thank you! :-)

The Mastic tree has small green flowers and female trees produce small blackish fruits. It is drought tolerant and once established should only need a good deep watering once every two to three weeks in the summer tapering to once per month in the winter. It isn't bothered by pests and is well adapted to our desert climate. Keep in mind that one of the most common causes for tree failure is being planted too deep. The soil level of the container must be even with the surrounding soil in the landscape.

I have two fruit trees in a back corner and three Queen Palms around my pool. The palms are now about ten years old. A local nursery had highly recommended them as an ideal tree for pools that provide shade. Thankfully, I have a sense of humor and can laugh about it now. ;-) If they provide any shade at all, it’s for my neighbors!

From my experiences with the bushes I planted, I learned the plants don’t always read the books or the attached tags. ;-) I’ve had to move many that grew much larger than expected, or didn’t grow large enough! I’m hoping to avoid that with my future trees.

I want to stay away from messy trees like the Mesquite, am allergic to the yellow pollen dropped by Palo Verde trees and have never been impressed by the Acacias. My ideal tree would be well adapted to our climate, be relatively clean, have darker green foliage and provide shade on the denser side. The Mastic Tree seems like it fits all this criteria – so I kind of wondered if something was wrong with it. :-) I’m happy to hear everyone’s good experiences with it.

Thank you,
CKR (who needs shade)

P.S. billyjt, thanks for the nursery recommendations. Both are a bit of a drive for me, but I always enjoy learning of new places to visit.