Peruvian pepper tree
Schinus molle
HighSecondary
Fast biomassProduction
A fast, weeping shade tree that drops pink peppercorns and shrugs off brutal drought. Handsome and useful, but allelopathic and prone to spreading, so site and prune it with intent.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- High
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Sandy, Loam
- Soil pH range
- 6 – 8
- Min. temperature
- -6°C
- Min. rainfall
- 350 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- Medium
- Frost tolerance
- Low
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Fast weeping drought-hardy shade tree yielding pink peppercorns; lift canopy for underplanting and prune regularly to control spread and encourage vigorous regrowth.
Watch out for
Allelopathic and classed as invasive/weedy in warm climates (CABI) — self-seeds readily via bird-spread fruit; berries and sap mildly toxic/irritant in quantity; brittle limbs drop in wind.
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