Q: I’m looking for a good tree that gives fall color. I’m trying to decide between a Texas red oak and a red push pistache. Is one a better tree for our desert climate? Which grows quicker and has better form? It would be planted about 20 feet from our home in Marana. Could you give me info about each tree so I could make a good choice?
A: The Texas red oak (Quercus buckleyi), aka the Texas hill country red oak, is a deciduous shade tree that may reach 30 feet in height and 60 feet in width under ideal circumstances. It has excellent fall color and makes a good specimen for our area. The downside might be the leaf litter and the acorns, depending on how you feel about either cleaning up after them or not. The red push pistache (Pistacia chinensis) is a hybrid deciduous tree that also has excellent fall color, maybe even better than the oak. Its growth is moderate and at maturity it typically reaches 40 feet tall by 35 feet wide. The leaflets are smaller and should be less troublesome than the oak leaves. The pistache should just fit your space if you plant it 20 feet away. The Texas red oak is typically a larger tree and would not fit your space as well.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Email him at csongardensage@gmail.com
