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Schinus terebinthifolius

BRAZILIAN PEPPER

The Brazilian pepper is a fastgrowing, vigorous evergreen tree that is well adapted to city conditions. It has glossy, dark green compound leaves composed of 5–13 leaflets, forming a rounded crown resembling that of a carob tree. The female trees (infrequently planted on city streets) produce clusters of red berries, often used in Christmas wreaths. A shrub by nature, this tree does not develop a single straight trunk unless trained to do so—many examples of “crazy straw” Brazilian peppers are found where the trees have enjoyed only intermittent care. Attention should also be paid to their canopies, which need thinning to reduce risk of breakage in winter storms, since, like many fast-growing trees, Brazilian peppers have brittle wood. Native to southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina, the Brazilian pepper has become an invasive pest in many semitropical areas. In southern Florida, it covers some 700,000 acres, and the tree cannot be legally sold or imported in Florida or Texas.