Where can I grow pistachio?

Pistacia vera · Nut · Perennial

Pistachio is a great fit (80+) on 1.7 million sq mi of land in 40 countries, 54% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, California, United States and Henan, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (74%) and winters get too cold (13%).Pistachio is a great fit (80+) on 4.3 million km² of land in 40 countries, 54% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, California, United States and Henan, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (74%) and winters get too cold (13%).

Great fit (80+): 1.7M sq mi4.3M km²; 3% of land
Worth a try (50–79): 821k sq mi2.1M km²; 1% of land
Great fit without irrigation: 824k sq mi2.1M km²; Rain alone is enough
Countries: 40; With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

1
🇺🇸Texas, United States
Great fit on 50k sq mi130k km² · worth a try on 29k sq mi74k km²
For example Lubbock (100), Big Spring (97)
2
🇺🇸California, United States
Great fit on 37k sq mi95k km² · worth a try on 8,000 sq mi21k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Roseville (100), Citrus Heights (100)
3
🇨🇳Henan, China
Great fit on 36k sq mi93k km² · worth a try on 17k sq mi44k km²
For example Luoyang (96), Pingdingshan (92)
4
🇮🇷Razavi Khorasan, Iran
Great fit on 31k sq mi81k km² · worth a try on 5,300 sq mi14k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Dargaz (100), Torbat-e Jām (100)
5
🇮🇷Kerman, Iran
Great fit on 29k sq mi74k km² · worth a try on 2,300 sq mi6,000 km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Kerman (100), Sirjan (100)
6
🇺🇸New Mexico, United States
Great fit on 27k sq mi70k km² · worth a try on 7,000 sq mi18k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Hobbs (100), Alamogordo (100)
7
🇹🇲Balkan, Turkmenistan
Great fit on 26k sq mi68k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Magtymguly (100), Türkmenbaşy (100)
8
🇪🇸Andalusia, Spain
Great fit on 21k sq mi55k km² · worth a try on 4,000 sq mi10k km²
For example Jaén (100), Martos (100)
9
🇮🇷Fars, Iran
Great fit on 21k sq mi55k km² · worth a try on 3,400 sq mi8,700 km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Estahbān (100), Shahr-e Ṣadrā (100)
10
🇨🇳Anhui, China
Great fit on 20k sq mi51k km² · worth a try on 5,600 sq mi14k km²
For example Suzhou (91), Huaibei (91)
11
🇵🇰Balochistan, Pakistan
Great fit on 19k sq mi48k km² · worth a try on 3,900 sq mi10k km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Zhob (93), Kalat (91)
12
🇪🇸Castille-La Mancha, Spain
Great fit on 18k sq mi46k km² · worth a try on 2,300 sq mi5,900 km²
For example Toledo (99), Valdepeñas (98)
13
🇹🇲Ahal, Turkmenistan
Great fit on 18k sq mi45k km² · worth a try on 1,200 sq mi3,100 km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Gämi (100), Änew (100)
14
🇨🇳Jiangsu, China
Great fit on 17k sq mi44k km² · worth a try on 25k sq mi64k km²
For example Yaowan (90), Yangtun (89)
15
🇹🇲Mary, Turkmenistan
Great fit on 16k sq mi41k km² · worth a try on 1,100 sq mi3,000 km² · mostly with irrigation
For example Mary (100), Bayramaly (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

🇮🇷Iran227k sq mi588k km² · 42% of its land
🇺🇸United States156k sq mi403k km² · 7% of its land
🇩🇿Algeria99k sq mi256k km² · 43% of its land
🇨🇳China84k sq mi217k km² · 4% of its land
🇪🇸Spain79k sq mi205k km² · 36% of its land
🇹🇲Turkmenistan74k sq mi192k km² · 84% of its land
🇹🇷Turkey69k sq mi178k km² · 21% of its land
🇦🇫Afghanistan60k sq mi155k km² · 38% of its land
🇸🇾Syria53k sq mi137k km² · 89% of its land
🇺🇿Uzbekistan48k sq mi125k km² · 56% of its land

Best-suited towns

100%Good fit
Gaziantep
🇹🇷 Turkey
100%Good fit
Şanlıurfa
🇹🇷 Turkey
100%Good fit
Dushanbe
🇹🇯 Tajikistan
100%Good fit
Tashkent
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
100%Good fit
Athens
🇬🇷 Attica, Greece
100%Good fit
Denizli
🇹🇷 Turkey
100%Good fit
Kermanshah
🇮🇷 Kermanshah Province, Iran
100%Good fit
Batman
🇹🇷 Turkey
100%Ideal
Homs
🇸🇾 Syria
100%Ideal
DamascusNeeds irrigation: scores 90 on rain alone
🇸🇾 Damascus Governorate, Syria
100%Good fit
AmmanNeeds irrigation: scores 86 on rain alone
🇯🇴 Jordan
100%Ideal
AleppoNeeds irrigation: scores 84 on rain alone
🇸🇾 Syria

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region. Scores assume irrigation where rain falls short; Needs irrigation marks towns that need it.

What pistachio needs

Winter chill (9 winters in 10): Ideal at least 58 portionsWon't grow below 45 portions
Coldest night of the year (average): Ideal at least 10°FIdeal at least -12°CWon't grow below 0°FWon't grow below -18°C
Yearly rain: Ideal 16–24 inIdeal 400–600 mmWon't grow below 7.9 in or above 39 inWon't grow below 200 mm or above 1,000 mm
Warmest-month average: Ideal 79–91°FIdeal 26–33°CWon't grow below 73°F or above 100°FWon't grow below 23°C or above 38°C
Degree days above 50°FDegree days above 10°C: Ideal at least 4,860 °F·daysIdeal at least 2,700 °C·daysWon't grow below 3,600 °F·daysWon't grow below 2,000 °C·days
Frost-free days: Ideal at least 210 daysWon't grow below 180 days

Needs both a real winter chill and a long, hot, dry summer; humidity brings fungal disease.

Sources: Ferguson & Haviland (eds.), Pistachio Production Manual (UC ANR); FAO ECOCROP: Pistacia vera; Steduto, Hsiao, Fereres & Raes 2012, Crop yield response to water (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 66).

What stops it elsewhere

Not enough winter chill74%
Winters get too cold13%
Summers too cool6%
Too wet5%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. Each square is scored with whichever variety fits it best. “Irrigated” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rainfed” counts them. Tap any square to see everything that grows there.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.