greenery · easy · budget
Pistacia
Pistacia lentiscus · aka mastic, pistache greenery
Pistacia is the workhorse of commercial floristry — inexpensive Mediterranean greenery that creates volume inside a bouquet without ever being seen. Modern florists use pistacia as the structural skeleton of oversized bouquets, allowing focal flowers to sit airily on top. See our journal piece on [technical greenery](/journal/technique/technical-greenery/).
At a glance
| Family | Anacardiaceae |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mediterranean; commercially grown Italy, Israel |
| Peak season | all year |
| Availability | all year |
| Stem length | 50–80 cm |
| Vase life | 7–14 days |
| Colors | deep green |
| Price tier | budget |
Conditioning
Cut on a diagonal, split woody stems. Fresh water. Recut every 3 days.
Care in the vase
- •Dense, small-leaved branching — cheap volume builder
- •Used inside bouquets as technical greenery (invisible in the finished piece)
- •One bundle provides many small stems
- •Firm structure supports flower stems in the bouquet
Design role & symbolism
Occasionstechnical greenery in bouquets, voluminous arrangements
Substitutesruscus, myrtle
greenerytechnicalbudget
