Mastic Tree - Pistachier Lentisque
Pistacia lentiscus
Family: Pistaciaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Spreading or horizontal.
Pistacia lentiscus is an evergreen Shrub growing to 5 m (16ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 5
Where it is found
Open woods and scrub on dry hillsides, usually by the coast.
Europe - Mediterranean.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
A sweet liquorice-flavoured resin, called 'mastic', is obtained from incisions made into the bark of the trunk, but not into the wood. The odour is agreeable and the taste mild and resinous, when chewed it becomes soft and so can easily be masticated. It is chewed to strengthen the gums and as a breath sweetener and also used as a flavouring in puddings, sweets (including 'Turkish delight') cakes etc. It is also the basis of a Greek confectionery called 'masticha' and a liqueur called 'mastiche'. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
Oil: Oil
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 2
Mastic was at one time greatly used in herbal medicine, the resin obtained from the tree (see below for more details) being used. It is little used in modern herbalism though it could be employed as an expectorant for bronchial troubles and coughs and as a treatment for diarrhoea. The resin is analgesic, antitussive, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, odontalgic, sedative and stimulant. It is mixed with other substances and used as a temporary filling for carious teeth. Internally it is used in the treatment of diarrhoea in children and externally it is applied to boils, ulcers, ringworm and muscular stiffness.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Other
Rating:
The resin 'mastic' is obtained by making incisions in the bark (not the trunk) of the tree from mid summer to the autumn. It can be dried and used as a powder, or distilled for oil and essence. It is used in high grade varnishes, as a fixative in perfumes, tooth pastes, glue (especially for false beards), embalming, a temporary filling for teeth etc. It is used to seal the edges of microscope mounts and is also chewed to preserve the teeth and gums. An oil obtained from the seed is used for lighting, soap making etc. The leaves contain up to 19% tannin, they are often used as an adulterant of sumac, Rhus coriaria.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
Resin: Used in perfumery, medicines, paints, soap making etc. This also includes turpentine, which is extracted from many resins and used as a preservative, water proofer etc,
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Erosion control, Screen, Specimen. Succeeds in any ordinary garden soil, preferring a hot dry position in full sun. Prefers a well-drained to dry sandy or stony alkaline soil. This species is not very hardy in Britain. It normally requires the protection of a south-facing wall but can succeed in a hot dry position in the milder areas of the country. The mastic tree is cultivated in southern Europe for its resin. It is a very variable plant, a form with broad leaves yielding the best resin. It is likely to need long hot and dry summers in order to yield its resin, and so is unlikely to produce it very freely in Britain. Any pruning that needs to be done is best carried out in the spring. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Pre-soak the seed for 16 hours in alkalized water, or for 3 - 4 days in warm water, and sow late winter in a cold frame or greenhouse. Two months cold stratification may speed up germination, so it might be better to sow the seed in early winter. The germination is variable and can be slow. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on the plants for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer and consider giving some protection from winter cold for their first year or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood from juvenile trees, July in a frame. Layering.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; South Wall. By.
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 8-9
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Small risk of diarrhoea in children. Avoid oral intake of essential oil .
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Lentiscus massiliensis, Lentiscus vulgaris, Terebinthus lentiscus.