Pistacia atlantica

Mt. atlas mastic tree

Family: Anacardiaceae · Type: tree · Not Native

Mt. atlas mastic tree is a naturalized tree found in the Sacramento Valley and expected in other regions, growing on flats, roadsides, and drainages at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from February to April, this tree produces small flowers in understated clusters. Growing 3 to 10 meters tall with spreading to erect branches, it develops a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves feature a winged axis with leaflets having acute to obtuse tips, creating a delicate foliage pattern. The fruit is approximately 6 to 8 millimeters long and roughly obovoid in shape.

Habitat: Flats, roadsides, drainages

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: ScV, expected elsewhere

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.