Schinus molle

Pepper tree, Pepper Tree

Family: Anacardiaceae · Type: tree · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Pepper tree is a naturalized tree found in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Tehachapi, Great Valley, Central Western, and Southwestern California in washes, slopes, and abandoned fields at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from June to August, this tree produces small inconspicuous flowers less than 3 millimeters long. Growing 5 to 18 meters tall with the ability to root-sprout, it forms a broad, spreading canopy. Its compound leaves are 10 to 30 centimeters long, featuring numerous narrow leaflets 1 to 6 centimeters long that are lanceolate to lance-linear and typically entire. The tree produces small round fruits approximately 5 to 8 millimeters in diameter.

Habitat: Washes, slopes, abandoned fields

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: < 700 m

Bioregions: SNF, Teh, GV, CW, SW

California counties: Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, Alameda, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Santa Clara, San Bernardino, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Kern, Butte, Fresno, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, Yolo, Solano

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.