It is normal. There are a few locally that also turn yellow every year.

Enjoy!

John

and you are sure on the ID ... not just that someone told you thats what they were???

pix of leaves will usually get you an ID ....

ken

Positive on the ID. I've verified at a nursery, had 3 other people look at them and tell me the name, and, the previous owner told me the names of what she planted. I've just never seen one turn yellow. Will these always turn yellow? I'm disapointed since I don't like the yellow leaves, but I love red. :(

Most are Red or Orange, but a percentage turn Yellow. All down to genetic variability. IMHO 5-10% are yellow in a large random sample from seed grown plants from what I have seen locally. Note, however, I am on the very north edge of their climate adaptation, so it's possible that selects for a genotype that happens to have more yellow specimens. Not saying this happens, but it can't be ruled out without allot of testing. And yes they will probable always stay yellow.

Arktrees

"There are a few locally that also turn yellow every year"

Fall color is not very variable with the CP around here. Each tree has its own set coloring year after year. Some years it is more or less intense than others but always the same basic coloration. Yellow trees are always yellow, red ones are red, the ones that have all the colors always have all the colors etc

John

Thanks for the info Arktrees. Bummer though. I was so looking forward to the pretty red leaves. :( That's the reason why I liked Chinese Pistach trees!

severe drought can affect such.. any history of such.. wherever you are??

ken

Ken,
Think of CP as a really big Sumac. They don't much care about drought or heat during their color season. They do their thing for the most part regardless of the weather. They don't much care.

Arktrees

Where do you live & is it in a fertilized lawn? Triggers for colour change and leaf drop are declining day length and cool night temperatures (eg <50F). If neither of those things happens to much degree before it gets really cold, many trees will go from green to nothing and skip the coloring stage.

Very nutrient rich (primarily N) soils will also slow or delay a tree from going dormant.

I live in North East Oklahoma. My lawn is fertilized and on a watering system. I know several people in our City with Chinese Pistach trees and theirs turn a beautiful yellow every fall. In 10 years mine has turned a beautiful yellow once!

So you think it may be over fertilized?

"So you think it may be over fertilized?"

It's possible. I know nothing about Chinese Pistach, but you could do an experiment next summer. Dial it back on the fertilizer some and shut your irrigation down earlier in the fall (or water much, much less frequently.) Provided you aren't in a bad drought, of course.

I will try that next year.

Do these tend to color on the late side?

My frosty yard isn’t good for late- coloring trees (Except oaks, which don’t seem to care about typical November freezes).

My trident maple, for example, froze off green this fall.

Last year it about halfway turned red by Thanksgiving before freezing off.

My frosty yard isn’t good for late- coloring trees (Except oaks, which don’t seem to care about typical November freezes)

And in fact, I was about to post that various red oaks seemed better than normal this year. Could just be that they are standing out better, since various other trees look awful.

I see oaks that hold onto to a bright red color for a really long time, I wonder if any have been selected for that?

We got ripped off too! For four hears since planted, they just turn brown and fall off. No color at all and it is such a bummer because we planted them specifically because of their fall color.

Knowing your location would help but generally...don't irrigate (or at least stop in late summer) or fertilize (lawn or tree).