Q: I am interested in Chinese pistache trees. How big do they get? I read they have good fall color.

A: The pistache is an excellent small tree! It only grows twenty five feet tall and has terrific yellow color in fall. Dr. Michael Dirr says it is the closest thing he has seen to rival the sugar maple in autumn. It transplants easily and grows in a wide range of soils. He cautions that young trees may try to grow a multiple trunk. Purchase one that has a straight trunk and tip prune low on the trunk any new limbs which try to grow upward rather than outward.