The northern limits for winter survival and fruit ripening of the tree has not been fully determined. There is a 28-year old specimen in the Asian section of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and another specimen at nearby Huntington Gardens. Raisin tree plants are not particularly suitable for container culture. The raisin tree is deciduous and can grow to a height of 70 feet or more, but cultivated specimens typically reach a height of about 30 feet with a singular trunk and a rounded head. The lower branches frequently drop off leaving a fairly high crotch.
Growth rate is moderate, perhaps a foot or two per year, more when young and less when old.
Raisin trees are particularly handsome when planted in groups. They are cream colored and compensate for their small size by being clustered together in great masses. Where summers are cool, bloom may be delayed even until the end of summer with the result that fruit does not form or ripen. As the pod matures, the peduncle of stem attaching it to the cluster swells, becomes knobby and turns a translucent reddish brown. A pear-like flavor develops as the sugars increase, and the peduncle is ready to eat when it falls to the ground.