What is a Brazilian Pepper?
The Brazilian Pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) is a member of the same family as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac and is considered highly invasive. Brazilian Peppers are large, multi-trunked shrubs that can grow 40 feet tall. They are evergreens with glossy, bright leaves and the female Brazilian Peppers produce tiny yellowish-white flowers in spring, and clusters of small red berries in late fall. Brazilian Peppers are on the State of Florida’s prohibited plant list. It is illegal to cultivate, sell or transport them because they are capable of rapid proliferation, wiping out everything in their path and destroying entire ecosystems of plants and animals.
