My California Pepper Tree is not what I think it is!

Pink Pepper berries

This property is blessed by 3 California Pepper  Schinus Molle trees. It provides shade and beauty on the west side of our house. They appealed to me because of their weeping willow like shape. The leaves will sway in the wind gracefully. In the fall and winter beautiful strings of red berries (peppercorn) drape down from the trees. It remain green 12 months of the year.

Following our principle of edible landscaping, we had to examine if this plant will contribute to our gardening scheme. It already had a lot going for it, as it was providing filtered shade for a growing area- the planter boxes. This will provide a micro climate in the hot Temecula garden.


I was always intrigued by the strings of pink peppercorns. Crushed between my fingers they had a strong pepper aroma. I always wondered if they were edible. However, coming from the tropics, I knew that pepper grew on a vine. My initial gut feeling was they are not edible. However, I desperately wanted them to be edible as I wanted to keep those trees!

At Christmas time - naturally decorated with Christmas Red

Recently, I began to read a lot of bad press about the California Pepper Tree. Cal-IP has classify the Schinus molle  as an invasive plant. Further investigation on the topic, revealed that while it is commonly referred to as the California Pepper Tree it is not native to California, it actually comes from Peru! The berries are beloved of the birds, that help spread the plant. The hardiness of this plant and its ability to tolerate adverse conditions, like poor soil, wind and drought which makes it such a great landscape plant in areas like Temecula, also means it can spread easily. We examine the location of our trees and have decided to keep them. They are away from other trees and seem not to have spread from there. It is far from our property line plus our neighbors have California Pepper trees of their own!

Interestingly, as I research more about the tree, I got conflicting reports about whether the peppercorns were edible. Many articles report that they are the pepper  in the pink peppercorn mixes. Other reports say that eating too much of these pink peppercorns can give indigestion. This morning, I read an interesting blog article The true life of Schinus Molle which I think gives a balance view, that is line with mine.

In conclusion, my California Pepper Tree is

1. Not Californian but Peruvian 
2. Not Schinus terebinthifollus - more invasive Brazilian pepper tree  
3. Not a Pepper Tree- it is a member of the Cashew tree Anacardiaceae.
4. Not a true pink peppercorn - it is a false pink peppercorn.
5. Not a male - produces berries
6. Not fatal- if berries are eaten in small quantities

It is a thing of beauty and shade. It will be a beloved part of our landscape.

I love bringing in strings of the pink pepper berries to decorate the house. Aren't they beautiful?