“'My favorite evergreen ornamental tree... next to the driveway.'”
Background
Cultivar-name caveat, marked explicitly: 'Miracle Tear' could not be verified as a registered nursery cultivar — the phrase appears in the trade only as marketing language for Chios mastiha resin 'tears.' It may be a local nursery's trade name for a Pistacia lentiscus selection. The species itself is the mastic tree: a Mediterranean evergreen shrub or small tree (dioecious), cultivated since antiquity for its aromatic resin, mastic, harvested mainly on the Greek island of Chios ('tears of Chios'). It is a classic plant of dry, rocky Mediterranean maquis and garrigue. The UA arboretum notes the species name refers to its valued gum mastic, used in perfumes, chewing gum, and varnishes.
Distinguishing traits
Dense evergreen shrub or small tree, 15-25 ft; leathery paripinnate leaves with winged petioles (3-5 pairs of 1-in leaflets); reddish young stems aging gray. Inconspicuous spring flowers; female plants bear small red berries ripening black, attractive to birds. Glossy, refined, slow-growing canopy. The UA arboretum describes mastic as an evergreen shrub or short tree of 15-25 feet with a dense globular crown and pinnate leaves that flush yellow-green before maturing dark green.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- n/a — ornamental
- Cold hardiness
- USDA zones 8/9-11; established plants hardy to about 20°F.
- Heat tolerance
- One of the toughest evergreens for Phoenix: thrives in full desert sun and reflected heat from walls and pavement.
- Water
- Very low once established; among the most drought-tolerant shade trees for Arizona. The UA arboretum rates water use as moderate and calls it well adapted to dry areas.
- Soil
- Well-drained; adapts to poor, rocky, caliche, and alkaline soils.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun.
Where to buy
- Three Timbers (Phoenix, AZ)
- Desert Shade Nursery