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Schinus molle
Also called Peppertree, California Peppertree, False Pepper Tree, Peruvian Mastictree, American Pepper, Californian Pepper Tree, Mastic Tree
Peruvian peppertree is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant evergreen tree in the cashew family, growing to about 15 m, with drooping branches and clusters of pink berries. It is widely planted as an ornamental and is an invasive weed in many warm regions, so check local rules before planting.
Schinus molle (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul, Peruvian mastic, anacahuita or aguaribay and pepperina) is an evergreen tree in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae) that grows to 15 m (50 ft). It is native to an area from the Peruvian Andes to southern Brazil. The bright pink fruits of S. molle are often sold as "pink peppercorns", although it is unrelated to black pepper (Piper nigrum). The word molle in Schinus molle comes from mulli, the Quechua word for the tree. The tree is host to the pepper-tree moth, Bombycomorpha bifascia.
The tree reproduces through seed, suckers and cuttings. The seeds have a particularly hard coat and germination rates are greatly improved after they have passed through the gut of birds or other animals. Seeds germinate in spring, with seedlings slow growing until established. The seeds easily germinate under the tree in the existing leaf litter of the mother tree, by the hundreds at once and can easily be transplanted.
Schinus molle is native to the arid zone of northern South America and Peru's Andean deserts, extending to central Argentina and central Chile. It has, however, become widely naturalized around the world. It is known for its strong wood used for saddles, and was one of the Spanish colonies' supply sources for saddles. It has also been used for spice production, but is mainly planted as an ornamental tree.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Schinus molle by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
