Levi Rynearson ENH 101
Family: Anacardiaceae Scientific name: Schinus molle Common Names: American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, False pepper, escobilla, and Peppercorn tree.
Was not originally found in the U.S. and brought over by franciscans who needed shade trees that were drought tolerant. Originates from the Andes mountains in Peru. The molle portion of the name comes from the Quechua word for tree ‘molli’
Form: Single orMulti-trunk/ weeping formation Pinnate compound leaves with linear shape Axilary flowers with off white color Fruit is a deep red to brown color with a strong pepper scent Bark starts out grey as juvenile becoming red as tree matures. Sun: Full sun reflected heat Water/ Soil: drought tolerant when established. Needs good drainage and regular irrigation when establishing. Useful as centerpiece plant in a landscape Good for low water conditions Prefers sandy soils Plant away from walkways due to shallow roots Roots can be brittle making it prone to being blown over Susceptible to scale and psyllid damage Can be prone to root rot if soil is not well aerated Hosts black scale which can be damaging to citrus species. Can be carefully ground to make a juice, or dried to make a syrup. Was used in the Andes as an ingredient for making a fermented alcoholic beverage. Leaves are poisonous to poultry, pigs and young children. Good pest control tree Can be used as an ingredient in Antiperspirant, toothache, and rheumatism medicine.
http://lh2treeid.blogspot.com/2010/03/schinus-molle-california- pepper-tree.html http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Schinus_moll e.html http://www.monrovia.com/plant- catalog/plants/2084/california-pepper-tree.php