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Schinus molle CALIFORNIA PEPPER TREE
A tree so common in California it has been given the misleading common name of California pepper tree. In fact, Schinus molle is endemic to high altitudes of Peru and other Andean regions, growing wild up to 12,000 feet up in the mountain regions of the area. The specific epithet "molle" may be derived from the Quechuan Indian word for the tree, "mulli." According to Dr. Matt Ritter's book A Californian's Guide to the Trees Among Us, the first California plantings were at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California in the early 1800s. Although considered an invasive or naturalized species in many parts of the world such as Australia, South Africa, and the Western United States where it has been introduced into cultivation, it is an impressive evergreen tree that can grow to heights of 60 or 70 feet. Many of the oldest, most gnarled and interesting specimens can be found in and around the California missions. Schinus molle is mentioned by both Percy Broell(1937) and Chauncy Jerabek(1969). The oldest of Presidio's California pepper trees are located near the Serra cross. |
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