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christine_2010

Poor Poor Chinese Pistache

christine_2010
13 years ago

A little bit of history for you. My Chinese Pistache is 5 yrs old and last spring we had a pretty bad hail storm. Well, at that point the tree became lose and was always leaning. Due to my HOA I had to tie it back to keep it straight. North Texas has some pretty bad winds so the tree just couldn't stay tied up. The tree still went through the seasonal changes and this spring it produced nice green leaves as usual. Again, due to the winds, while the tree was blooming beautifully it was still getting pounded down on by the winds and at times I would come home from work and it was leaning in the street. I finally had help to tie it up properly with stakes with room to move, etc. Nothing was dug up and replanted just held straight up and tied up. Well, as luck would have it 4 days later(remember this was 2 weeks ago) my tree leaves are ALL dark brown and crispy. So I think after all that drama over the past year my tree died just that quick. Do you think it's a goner? Any suggestions? My entire street requires you to have 2 Chinese Pistache tree between the sidewalk and the street so I may have to get a new one. Any idea how much they cost? I'm so bummed it died!

Comments (16)

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago

    No idea whether it is a 'goner' with the information provided.

    Guessing with info provided, it likely snapped at the butt and has perished.

    I'm sorry your street is so 1915 in its tree selection and when they all get a pathogen/bug at once, one would hope they would take the lesson the rest of the planet has learned and plant more than one species.

    The cost depends upon the size you purchase.

    Dan

  • musicalperson
    13 years ago

    You might investigate to see who actually owns the street lawn (the strip between the sidewalk and the curb). For the longest time our HOA was telling owners to replace trees or prune trees for clearance etc. Sometimes they would and sometimes they wouldn't. Usually they wouldn't or they would butcher them. One day we found out the street lawns were common area. The HOA started doing all the maintenance on everyone's trees in the street lawn from then on. Check your county plat. If it's a similar situation, tell your HOA they are welcome to replace the trees in their street lawn.

    From the sounds of things your tree may have had root issues. For example it may have had girdling roots or the roots may have never established. After 5 years in the ground it shouldn't just flop over like that. If this thing has been flopping over repeatedly in the texas heat and is now crispy and no leaves, I'm betting it's dead.

  • Iris GW
    13 years ago

    My entire street requires you to have 2 Chinese Pistache tree between the sidewalk and the street

    I can't believe they would require you to have a non-native tree!

  • musicalperson
    13 years ago

    An EPPC listed tree no less.

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago

    Here in Colo we have some laws that state HOAs cannot set rules that supersede state law. So we can have clotheslines now and we can guide rainwater instead of having it spread all over the yard (we're Colo, water is complicated).

    Anyway, it being Texas I doubt the state or city has any legislation about tree species distribution or forbidding planting invasives or overruling HOAs.

    But there should be a design review board and you can ask to replant something else so that:

    o when the pathogen comes and kills all the pistache, the neighborhood won't look like a desolate semidesert afterward, scorching in the TX heat with no relief from shade or insulation.

    o The neighborhood doesn't look boring and desolate with only one type of tree to look at, and everyone will wonder what is wrong with the neighborhood in fall (risking lowering of property values).

    o You aren't planting a noxious weed.

    Fill out the application for something else and use these arguments. If they have some firing brain cells, they'll let you plant something else. Give 'er a whirl.

    Dan

  • musicalperson
    13 years ago

    ^ I thought colorado claimed possession of rainfall the second it fell from the sky making it illegal to collect. Myth or fact?

  • Iris GW
    13 years ago

    Good suggestions, Dan.

  • christine_2010
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yeah, this neighborhood is, shall I say, special. Every street has a different tree type. Next street over is a Live Oak, street after that is some sort of cypress...And sadly we do have in our HOA clause to have two trees between the side walk and street and you have to have one tree between the sidewalk and the front of the house. It's another story if you have a corner house...I'm just worried when I buy a new one next week, it will die too now. Not to mention it will be a different size than the one next to it. I'm sure the HOA will complain about that too. Clay soil around here, high winds and the fact that it will be 101 today doesn't help but it is my understanding that they like this kind of weather. They throw houses up so quickly around here and it has been said that the trees are planted too deep. RIP my Chinese Pistache!

  • musicalperson
    13 years ago

    Oh... noooooo. You definitely don't want to plant one now. You'll need to wait until fall for planing or you're right... it will die again.

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago

    Certainly the OP cannot replant until fall now. Way too late. Hopefully the HOA understands and there are planting times in the guidelines. If not, maybe the OP can make the HOA for a replacement if it dies during the summer.

    Thank you esh.

    Musical, the law changed July of last year to allow collection and use for some residential properties. Just another layer on the prior appropriations doctrine, but a crack in the wall nonetheless.

    Dan

  • samnsarah620_yahoo_com
    13 years ago

    It sounds like the tree was over watered. Too much water on a Chinese Pistache will cause root rot, which is probably why the tree kept leaning and why it eventually died.

  • northtexas
    13 years ago

    I think I live in Christine's neighborhood!

  • poaky1
    13 years ago

    What kinda regime has you pay for land and house, tax you each year for it, and tell you what to plant there? I guess if you need to live where the jobs are you have no choice. It's not my business, but it makes me mad to hear that they do that.

  • northtexas
    13 years ago

    Part of the deal when you buy in a neighborhood with a home owner association. You take the good with the bad. Personally, I like the fact that all the houses have to have three trees in the front yard but that's just me I guess. They also won't let you paint your house certain colors, can fine you for unmowed lawn, unkept flower beds etc.

    Did they make perfect choices for types of trees to plant? Probably not, the street over has two bur oaks in that strip in front of every house and I imagine they will get way too big for that small space.

    Chinese pistache seems to be frowned upon on this forum but it is one of only five trees designated a Texas superstar by Texas A&M University.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Pistache Texas Superstar

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago

    Many people who choose their home as their only investment choose HOAs. Then they can control their investment and such. Not saying it is right, just a choice. And its great that Chinese pistache is a superstar, but the females are invasive.

    Dan

  • dricha
    13 years ago

    The main problem I've seen on Chinese Pistache is problems related to root girdling which can cause problems many years later.

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