Pistacia chinensis (Chinese pistache, "Ranshinboku")

Japanese name: ランシンボク （爛心木）
Scientific name: Pistacia chinensis

[Overview]
A deciduous tree up to 20 m tall, found in its native range in rocky places in hill to mountain forests.
The leaves are alternate and even-pinnately compound, with up to 13 pairs of leaflets.
The leaflets are 5–10 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, and turn red in autumn.
It is dioecious.
Male flowers are borne in dense panicles 6–7 cm long, and female flowers in sparse panicles 15–20 cm long; neither has petals.
The fruit is an ovoid drupe that ripens from red to bluish purple.

[History]
It is planted at the Confucian Temple in Qufu, Shandong, China.
In Japan too, it is planted as the tree of Confucius and a tree of learning.

[Uses]
The wood is used for furniture, utensils, walking sticks, go boards and the like, and it also yields a yellow dye.
The young leaves can be eaten.
Oil extracted from the seeds is used as lubricating oil and biodiesel.
The leaves and bark are used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate mainly from seed, but grafting and cuttings are also possible.
It suits warm regions.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained location.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Apply organic fertilizer in winter.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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