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In the Gardens

Peruvian Pepper Tree

Schinus molle

Bloom time

From October to Febru-ary; fruit bearing from May onwards.

Characteristics

The tree grows up to 8 m (9 yd.) tall. With its pendulous twigs it reminds of a Weep-ing Willow. If you crumble the pinnate, likewise pen-dulous leaves they smell intensively of pepper. Green berries that become pink at maturity develop from the whitish, inconspicuous flow-ers organized in panicles.

Site:

On Madeira you will mainly find Peru-vian Pepper Trees as ornamental plants at the southern coast, up to an altitude of 400 m (440 yd.). They are most frequently culti-vated in the parks and gardens of Funchal; e.g. there are various specimens to be found in the Parque Santa Catarina (198).

Interesting to know:

The Peruvian Pepper Tree is not only native to Peru - as implies the denomination - but to all tropical sites in Latin America from Argentina to Mexico. It is not related to the Black Pepper Plant (Piper nigrum), which provides authentic pep-per. The fruits also taste hot but somewhat bit-ter and resinous; in former times they were used to thin down the expensive authentic pepper. The “pink berries” that are on the market today use to be fruits from the Brazilian Pepper Tree (Schinus terebinthifolius). They are toxic in larg-er quantities and should thus be used thriftily.

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