The Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia), also known
as Hawaiian Christmas Berry, Florida Holly, Rose Pepper, and Broadleaved
Pepper, is a sprawling shrub or small
tree in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae,
which also includes poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac and poisonwood. As a member
of the Schinus genus it is known as a
“pepper tree,” although it is not a true pepper. Even so, Schinus molle or the Peruvian Pepper, a close relative of the
Brazilian Pepper, is the source of the pink peppercorns that you sometimes see
in gourmet pepper mills. The dried berries add a pepper-like taste to food. The
Brazilian Pepper is also known as “Hawaiian Christmas Berry” or “Florida Holly”
because its red berries mature in December/ January and are sometimes used as
Christmas decorations. The “Brazilian”
part of its names comes from the fact that it is native to
subtropical and tropical South America (i.e. southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina
and Paraguay).
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| Brazilian Pepper berries |
The Brazilian Pepper is a dioecious species (i.e. there are
both male and female flowers that occur on separate male and female trees) with
male flowers lasting one day and female flowers lasting up to a week. Both flower types look the same and are found
in abundant clusters. These eventually produce small, red, spherical berries. The shrub/small tree reaches a
height of 3-10 meters and has aromatic leaves which when crushed give off a
peppery or turpentine-like smell. It is quite a lovely plant to look at and is very popular with bees.
Sometime in the 1840s or 50s the Brazilian Pepper was
introduced into the southern U.S. states from South America as an ornamental
shrub. The tree adapted very well, actually too well. It is ridiculously hardy
and is able to thrive in both dry and wet conditions, can tolerate some
salinity and flooding, and, when mature, is also fire-resistant. It is the cockroach of trees- although maybe more attractive. Did I mention
that it exudes chemicals in its leaves, flowers and fruit to irritate competing
species? It is nearly indestructible and, unfortunately, very invasive. Cold seems to be the
only thing that limits it: it is only really happy in hardiness zones 10-12.
Interestingly, for about the first 80 years that it was in Florida, it was
“controlled” but then in the mid-1920s a horticulture hobbyist gave hundreds of
seedlings to friends who planted them in their yards and along city streets. By 1969 it was considered an invasive species
of the worst kind, and is now classified as a Category I invasive exotic plant,
meaning that it is displacing native species and it should be eradicated
whenever possible. It has since taken
over large (and ever expanding) areas of Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii,
Louisiana and California with serious negative impacts on biodiversity. It is
causing problems in other places as well: Australia, the Bahamas, and Bermuda,
to name a few. In fact, it is such a big problem that the sale, transport or
planting of it or its seed is legally prohibited in Florida and Texas (as well
as other countries) and the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) has listed
it among the top 100 worst global invasive organisms.
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| Where the Brazilian Pepper is found in Florida |
Unfortunately, it is
very difficult to eradicate. This is because if it is cut down it produces
basal shoots that produce new trees, it produces lots and lots of seeds that
birds (especially migrating robins), mammals (raccoon and possum) and insects
(mostly ants) disperse widely, and its seedling survival rate is very
high. Mechanical harvesting (down to the roots) and hand-application of
herbicides is what is usually needed to get rid of it, with additional follow up treatments if
sprouts appear. Unfortunately, this is
all very expensive and difficult to do on a large scale.
Apart from being invasive and having negative impacts
on the environment, it also has human health impacts. Its sap can cause skin
reactions similar to poison ivy, and eating the berries, which can have a
paralyzing effect on some birds, can cause throat irritation, vomiting and
gastro-intestinal problems. So, if you grind those lovely pink peppercorns,
please be cautious, they are considered to be toxic in large quantities! The Brazilian Pepper is also the source of
airborne irritants (especially when in bloom), provoking allergic reactions
(e.g. asthma and other respiratory problems) in some. Susceptible people
exposed to the tree, even just sitting in its shade, may develop an itching
skin rash, face swelling, respiratory problems and other allergy symptoms. Burning
the plant makes this worse and being around the smoke (which is described as
“noxious”) is like being “maced.” Given how potent it is, it probably is no
surprise that the Brazilian Pepper’s leaves, bark, berries, seeds and resin
have been used medicinally by indigenous people throughout the tropics for a
very long time.
After reading about it, the Brazilian Pepper seems to have
only two redeeming qualities: it is an attractive ornamental plant (if you are
not allergic to it) and it produces honey. In fact, it is a very efficient producer
of nectar (which is by some accounts an unusual fluorescent yellow) and
subsequently produces a LOT of honey: approximately 6-8 million pounds in
Florida each year. Well, it has one other redeeming quality: given that it
typically blooms in late summer into fall (August to November) it is also an
important source of nectar for winter honeybee colony maintenance. But that is
about it. Everything else about it is pretty bad, at least in areas where it
was introduced and is negatively impacting the environment.
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| Brazilian Pepper honey |
I got my jar of Brazilian Pepper honey online from the Bee Folk. I’m not exactly sure where it originated but my guess is probably Florida
since they have the biggest problem with Brazilian Pepper and in the U.S. they
produce a lot of its honey.
According to my readings, Brazilian Pepper honey is by most
accounts, too bitter, too peppery, too something else to be table grade, so I
think one of the reasons I hadn’t heard of it is that most of it may be sold
for commercial use rather than table use. In fact, I’ve read varying accounts
of what it tastes like, from sweet potatoes to pepper. This may be partly due
to differences in soil and weather conditions, but also due to the honey not being
purely from Brazilian Pepper flowers; many apiarists who harvest Brazilian
Pepper honey note that while the majority of the honey’s floral source is
Brazilian Pepper, other floral sources are involved, and these flavors interact to produce the final flavor.
I’ve had my honey for a while and it has crystallized, with
fairly large granules. It is a mellow orange/brown color. As for flavor, it is not too sweet and has a sweet potato flavor with an overlay of molasses, and then a final, subtle, pepper kick, but definitely more sweet potato than pepper. I didn't find it bitter at all. I'm not sure why it wouldn't be considered for table use, it is quite nice! I think it would be great in baking- and pretty good right out of the jar.
If you'd like to try some for yourself, you can order some online from the lovely Bee Folk website.
