Brazilian Pepper
Schinus terebinthifolia
Also known as Brazilian Pepper Tree, Christmas Berry, South American Pepper
Climate Match for your location
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A fast-growing evergreen shrub with feathery foliage and small white flowers followed by red berries. Highly invasive in warm climates and best avoided or carefully managed.
Why grow it
Brazilian pepper produces ornamental red berries and fine-textured foliage with minimal maintenance once established, making it useful where other evergreen shrubs struggle in poor or sandy soils. However, most permaculture practitioners in warm regions opt for non-invasive alternatives like native pepper species or other berry-producing shrubs that offer similar aesthetic and functional benefits without management burden.
Watch out for
Brazilian pepper spreads readily from seed dispersed by birds, so regular monitoring and removal of fruit before ripening helps prevent unwanted spread. The plant tolerates poor soils and drought once established, which can make it difficult to control in marginal areas. It responds vigorously to cutting and pruning, potentially regenerating from root fragments, so removal efforts require persistence and follow-up treatment.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
Native Range
South America
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Shrub
Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
A fast-growing evergreen shrub with feathery foliage and small white flowers followed by red berries. Highly invasive in warm climates and best avoided or carefully managed.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Brazilian Pepper grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Brazilian pepper produces ornamental red berries and fine-textured foliage with minimal maintenance once established, making it useful where other evergreen shrubs struggle in poor or sandy soils. However, most permaculture practitioners in warm regions opt for non-invasive alternatives like native pepper species or other berry-producing shrubs that offer similar aesthetic and functional benefits without management burden.
Watch out for
Brazilian pepper spreads readily from seed dispersed by birds, so regular monitoring and removal of fruit before ripening helps prevent unwanted spread. The plant tolerates poor soils and drought once established, which can make it difficult to control in marginal areas. It responds vigorously to cutting and pruning, potentially regenerating from root fragments, so removal efforts require persistence and follow-up treatment.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
Native Range
South America
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Shrub
Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
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