Aren't you up north? Pistachio need a long season, hot dry weather, and both male and female plants. Doesn't sound like a northern plant unless you have a greenhouse and probably not even then. In a big pot you might get 2 lbs of nuts max and that's probably being generous.

Well, "north" is relative. Technically im as far "north" as paris :P

Joking aside, yes, Im 8 hours east of winnipeg. I would want to grow it in a pot for that reason. I know generally speaking "anything" can be grown in a pot, but I also know that it isnt that simple. Some struggle then die, some grow fine but never produce or flower and some last for a while and then slowly decline.

I just couldnt find too much either way online. It might just be easier if I move further south lol

I've never done nuts in pots. Have planted pecan over the years. But anything I can grow in the way of a nut isn't any better than I can buy. That and low yield per unit area don't make them attractive.

I dont imagine many nut trees doing well in sw texas without being lucky enough to be living next to a river. Wonder what would be worse; your low rainfal/heat vs my usual long cold winters lol.

To be honest I just love pistachio nuts and really like the way they look.

I think if you want to grow nuts up here you are limited to hazelnuts, butternuts or walnuts. If you have squirrels, you should probably cross all those off your list :) Hazelnuts might actually be an option for your back lane as they don't get that big and you need to grow both male and female plants. I have a butternut and it produces a couple handfulls of nuts each fall, but I've only ever sampled them once because they are about 95% shell and 5% nut hidden within all the crevasses in the shell.

Hazelnuts are wild here. Im not aware if anyone here is trying some of the cultivated types or hybrids. I dont think anyone is growing walnuts here either. Good idea about putting some along the lane!

I am going to try to grow Hickory (carya ovata). Not sure if theyll survive but there is only one way to try.

Butternuts are now being planted all around the city. There are about 8 In a 6 or 8 block radius. Not sure if they will ever produce, but they arent very old. There is one massive one that seems to be old nor far from my house an ive never seen it produce.

Pecans love the heat. You'll find lots of those across the hottest parts of TX and AZ. I've seen a beautiful black walnut orchard in OK. The best pistachio are in hotter areas of CA, AZ, and NM.

Pecan trees grow like weeds here in Texas, especially in my neighborhood. :)