{{Short description|Species of tree}} {{distinguish|Peperina}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Speciesbox |image = Schinus_Molle.jpg |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=Barstow, M. |title=''Schinus molle'' |article-number=e.T61984171A61984173 |year=2021 |access-date=30 May 2022 }}</ref> |genus = Schinus |species = molle |authority = L.<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | access-date=6 July 2008 }}</ref><ref name=linnaeus>Linnaeus, C. (1753), [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358407 Species Plantarum 1: 388]</ref> }} thumb|Tree in Brazil, with no fruits or flowers '''''Schinus molle''''' ('''Peruvian pepper''', also known as '''American pepper''', '''Peruvian peppertree''', '''escobilla''', '''false pepper''', '''rosé pepper''', '''molle del Peru''', '''pepper tree''',<ref name=USDA>{{Citation |title=PLANTS Profile: ''Schinus molle'' L. (Peruvian peppertree) |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCMO |access-date=6 July 2008 |archive-date=8 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008074055/http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCMO |url-status=live }} (Archived by [https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCMO WebCite] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008074055/http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCMO |date=8 October 2008 }})</ref> '''peppercorn tree''', '''California pepper tree''', '''pirul''',<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110423040711/http://desarrollo.uacm.edu.mx/sitios/pauacm/pirul.html «Pirul»], en el sitio del Programa Ambiental de la Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México. Consultado el 21 de junio de 2011.</ref> '''Peruvian mastic''',<ref name="EnvWeeds">{{Citation |last=Blood |first=Kate |year=2001 |title=Environmental weeds: a field guide for SE Australia |location=Mount Waverley, Victoria, Australia |publisher=CH Jerram |pages=36–37 |isbn=0-9579086-0-1 }}</ref> '''anacahuita or aguaribay'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://periodicohora25forestal.blogspot.com/2015/10/exotico-3-en-1-aguaribay-arbol-de-la.html |title=Aguaribay, Árbol de la vida (''Schinus molle'') - Hora 25 Forestal |website=periodicohora25forestal.blogspot.com |access-date=29 December 2019 |archive-date=29 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229190907/http://periodicohora25forestal.blogspot.com/2015/10/exotico-3-en-1-aguaribay-arbol-de-la.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and '''pepperina'''<ref>{{Citation |title=Poisonous plants> Shrub-tree> Pepperina (''Schinus molle'') |date=18 July 2017 |publisher=Queensland Government: Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service |url=https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/poisonous-plant-pepperina-schinus-molle/ |access-date=17 July 2019 }}</ref>) is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 m (50 ft). It is native to an area from the Peruvian Andes to southern Brazil. The bright pink fruits of ''S. molle'' are often sold as "pink peppercorns", although it is unrelated to black pepper (''Piper nigrum''). The word ''molle'' in ''Schinus molle'' comes from ''mulli'',<ref>Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua_Spanish dictionary)</ref> the Quechua word for the tree. The tree is host to the pepper-tree moth, ''Bombycomorpha bifascia''.
==Description==
''Schinus molle'' is a quick growing evergreen tree that grows up to 15 m (50 ft) tall and wide.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> It is the largest of all ''Schinus'' species and potentially the longest lived.<ref name=Chicha>{{Citation |last1=Goldstein |first1=David John |last2=Coleman |first2=Robin Christine |publication-date=December 2004 |year=2004 |title=''Schinus molle'' L. (Anacardiaceae) ''Chicha'' production in the Central Andes |journal=Economic Botany |location=New York, USA |publisher=Springer New York |volume=58 |issue=4 |pages=523–529 |doi=10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0523:SMLACP]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=30853487 }}</ref> The upper branches of the tree tend to droop.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> The tree's pinnately compound leaves measure 8–25 cm long × 4–9 cm wide and are made up of 19–41 alternate leaflets.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /><ref name=Chicha /> Male and female flowers occur on separate plants (dioecious).<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> Flowers are small, white and borne profusely in panicles at the ends of the drooping branches.<ref name=Chicha /> The fruit are 5–7 mm diameter round drupes with woody seeds that turn from green to red, pink or purplish,<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> carried in dense clusters of hundreds of berries that can be present year round.<ref name=Chicha /> The rough grayish bark is twisted and drips sap.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> The bark, leaves and berries are aromatic when crushed.<ref name="EnvWeeds" />
==Distribution==
''Schinus molle'' is native to the arid zone of northern South America and Peru's Andean deserts, extending to central Argentina and central Chile.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> It has, however, become widely naturalized around the world. It is known for its strong wood used for saddles, and was one of the Spanish colonies' supply sources for saddles. It has also been used for spice production, but is mainly planted as an ornamental tree.<ref name=SouthAfrica>{{Citation |last1=Iponga |first1=D.M. |last2=Milton |first2=S.J. |last3=Richardson |first3=D.M. |publication-date=May 2008 |year=2008 |title=Superiority in competition for light: A crucial attribute defining the impact of the invasive alien tree Schinus molle (Anacardiaceae) in South African savanna |periodical=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=72 |issue=5 |pages=612–623 |doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.10.001 |bibcode=2008JArEn..72..612I |url=https://zenodo.org/record/895717 |hdl=10019.1/116906 |hdl-access=free |access-date=5 July 2019 |archive-date=22 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822144711/https://zenodo.org/record/895717 |url-status=live }}</ref>
''S. molle'' is a drought-tolerant, long-lived, hardy evergreen species that has become a serious invasive weed internationally.<ref name="SouthAfrica" />
In South Africa, for example, ''S. molle'' has invaded savanna and grasslands and become naturalized along drainage lines and roadsides in semi-desert.<ref name=SouthAfrica /> It is also invasive throughout much of Australia in a range of habitats from grasslands to dry open forest and coastal areas, as well as railway sidings and abandoned farms.<ref name="EnvWeeds" />
thumb|Distinctive bark thumb|Pink peppercorns – ''Schinus molle''
==Uses== ===Culinary=== Although not related to commercial pepper (''Piper nigrum'')<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> the pink/red berries are sold as pink peppercorns and often blended with commercial pepper.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> The fruit and leaves are, however, potentially poisonous to poultry, pigs, and possibly calves.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> Records also exist of young children who have experienced vomiting and diarrhea after eating the fruit.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> Presently ''Schinus molle'' lacks generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status with the United States Food and Drug Administration.<ref name="notGRAS">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Ram J. |last2=Lebeda |first2=Ales |last3=Tucker |first3=Arthur O. |year=2011 |chapter=2. Medicinal Plants—Nature's Pharmacy |editor1-last=Singh |editor1-first=Ram J. |title=Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement: Medicinal Plants |volume=6 |publisher=CRC Press |publication-date=15 September 2011 |page=17 |isbn=978-1-4200-7384-3 }}</ref>
Extracts of ''S. molle'' have been used as a flavor in drinks and syrups.<ref name=Ethnopharmacology />
===Medicinal=== In traditional medicine, ''S. molle'' was used in treating a variety of wounds and infections due to its antibacterial and antiseptic properties.<ref name=Ethnopharmacology>{{Citation |last1=Ferreroa |first1=Adriana |last2=Alejandra |first2=Minettib |last3=Cristina |first3=Brasa |last4=Zanettia |first4=Noelia |publication-date=25 September 2007 |year=2007 |title=Acute and subacute toxicity evaluation of ethanolic extract from fruits of ''Schinus molle'' in rats |periodical=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=113 |issue=3 |pages=441–447 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2007.06.019 |pmid=17716846 |hdl=11336/81974 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> It has also been used as an antidepressant and diuretic, and for toothache, rheumatism and menstrual disorders,<ref name=Ethnopharmacology /> with recent studies in mice providing possible support for its antidepressant effects.<ref name=antidepressant>{{Citation |last1=Machadoa |first1=Daniele G. |last2=Kastera |first2=Manuella P. |last3=Binfaréa |first3=Ricardo W. |last4=Diasc |first4=Munique |last5=Santosb |first5=Adair R.S. |last6=Pizzolattic |first6=Moacir G. |last7=Brighentec |first7=Inês M.C. |last8=Rodrigues |first8=Ana Lúcia S. |publication-date=30 March 2007 |year=2007 |title=Antidepressant-like effect of the extract from leaves of ''Schinus molle'' L. in mice: Evidence for the involvement of the monoaminergic system |journal=Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry |publisher=Elsevier |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=421–428 |doi=10.1016/j.pnpbp.2006.11.004 |pmid=17182164 |s2cid=22242301 }}</ref><ref>Daniele G. Machado, Luis E.B. Bettio, Mauricio P. Cunha, Adair R.S. Santos, Moacir G. Pizzolatti, Inês M.C. Brighente, and Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues (2008). "Antidepressant-like effect of rutin isolated from the ethanolic extract from ''Schinus molle'' L. in mice: Evidence for the involvement of the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems." ''Eur. J' Pharmacol.'' '''587''' 163-168.</ref> It has also been speculated that ''S. molle''{{'s}} insecticidal properties make it a good candidate for use as an alternative to synthetic chemicals in pest control.<ref name=Ethnopharmacology />
Fresh green leaves in bunches are used shamanically in Mesoamerican traditional ceremonies for cleansings and blessings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peruvian Pepper |url=https://elmaskincare.com/herbs/herbs_peruvian_pepper.htm |access-date=4 June 2021 |website=elmaskincare.com }}</ref>
===Other uses=== The leaves are also used for the natural dyeing of textiles in the Andean region. This practice dates back to pre-Columbian times. The Incas used the oil from its leaves in early mummification practices to preserve and embalm their dead.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adorno |first1=Rolena |last2=boserup |first2=ivan |title=Unlocking the Doors to the Worlds of Guaman Poma and His Nueva corónica |date=4 December 2015 |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press |isbn=978-87-635-4270-8 |page=118 }}</ref> ''Schinus molle'' is also used as a raw material in perfumery.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chagnoleau |first1=Jean-Baptiste |last2=Fernandez |first2=Xavier |last3=Armand |first3=Virginie |last4=Coutinho |first4=João A. P. |last5=Nothias-Esposito |first5=Melissa |last6=Papaiconomou |first6=Nicolas |title=Enhanced extraction of ''Schinus molle'' L. volatile compounds using sustainable solvents |journal=Separation and Purification Technology |date=19 December 2025 |volume=377 |article-number=134107 |doi=10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134107 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383586625027042 |access-date=15 March 2026 |issn=1383-5866 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
=== Historical use === There is archaeological evidence that the Wari state of the Middle Horizon (600–1000 AD) used the drupes of ''S. molle'' extensively for producing chicha, a fermented alcoholic beverage.<ref name=Chicha /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sayre |first1=Matthew |last2=Goldstein |first2=David |last3=Whitehead |first3=William |last4=Williams |first4=Patrick |date=2012 |title=A marked preference |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/naw.2012.32.2.231 |journal=Ñawpa Pacha |language=en |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=231–258 |doi=10.1179/naw.2012.32.2.231 |s2cid=128837574 |issn=0077-6297 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Williams |first1=Patrick Ryan |last2=Nash |first2=Donna J. |date=2021 |title=Consuming Kero: Molle Beer and Wari social identity in Andean Peru |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S027841652100060X |journal=Journal of Anthropological Archaeology |language=en |volume=63 |article-number=101327 |doi=10.1016/j.jaa.2021.101327 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=26 December 2022 |access-date=26 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226220507/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S027841652100060X |url-status=live }}</ref> Archaeological excavations at the Quilcapampa site in southern Peru, found evidence that the Wari used seeds from the vilca tree (''Anadenanthera colubrina'') and combined the hallucinogenic drug with chicha.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Biwer |first1=Matthew E. |last2=Álvarez |first2=Willy Yépez |last3=Bautista |first3=Stefanie L. |last4=Jennings |first4=Justin |date=2022 |title=Hallucinogens, alcohol and shifting leadership strategies in the ancient Peruvian Andes |journal=Antiquity |language=en |volume=96 |issue=385 |pages=142–158 |doi=10.15184/aqy.2021.177 |issn=0003-598X |doi-access=free }}</ref>
The Inca used the sweet outer part of ripe fruit to make a drink. Berries were rubbed carefully to avoid mixing with the bitter inner parts, the mix strained and then left for a few days to produce a drink. It was also boiled down for syrup or mixed with maize to make nourishing gruel.<ref name="Coe">{{Citation |last=Coe |first=Sophie D. |year=1994 |title=America's first cuisines |publisher=University of Texas Press |pages=186–187 |isbn=0-292-71159-X }}</ref>
In the late 19th century, ''S. molle'' was planted abundantly in California and became known as the "California pepper tree" to many.<ref name="Masters"/> The tree had romantic associations with the state's Spanish missions – by the 1870s "the pepper tree had become as familiar a visual trope as the padres' sandals and staffs."<ref name="Masters"/> They were also valued for their shade and their tolerance of semi-arid conditions, and so were planted along new avenues in the cities of Southern California. In 1911, an editorial in the ''Los Angeles Times'' celebrated the pepper tree: {{blockquote|"One of the first features to grip the eastern tourist when visiting this favored winter resort is the wonderful feathery foliage and the gorgeous scarlet berries of this matchless shade tree, giving, as it does, a pleasant air of holiday making and a wealth of tropical color to the Californian landscape...Why, the pepper tree has become an integral part of life in the sunny Southland."}}
However, ''S. molle'' fell out of favor as a street tree in the early twentieth century, in part because it hosts black scale, an insect which threatened the citrus groves of Southern California.<ref name="Masters">{{Cite news |url=https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/when-pepper-trees-shaded-the-sunny-southland |title=When Pepper Trees Shaded the 'Sunny Southland' |author=Nathan Masters |publisher=www.kcet.org |date=13 September 2013 |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-date=22 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822144731/https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/when-pepper-trees-shaded-the-sunny-southland |url-status=live }}</ref> The trees also tend to break up sidewalks with their roots, produce suckers, and interfere with buried telephone wires and sewer pipes.<ref name="Farmer">{{Cite news |url=https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/how-did-l-a-become-a-city-of-palms-and-other-questions-about-californias-trees |title=How Did L.A. Become a City of Palms? And Other Questions About California's Trees |author=Nathan Masters, Jared Farmer |publisher=kcet.org |date=23 January 2014 |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-date=22 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822144734/https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/how-did-l-a-become-a-city-of-palms-and-other-questions-about-californias-trees |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Masters"/> Many of the oldest trees were uprooted and new street plantings were banned in the citrus colonies. Los Angeles prohibited new street plantings in 1930.{{Cn|date=April 2024}}
==Cultivation== The tree reproduces through seed, suckers and cuttings.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> The seeds have a particularly hard coat and germination rates are greatly improved after they have passed through the gut of birds or other animals.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> Seeds germinate in spring, with seedlings slow growing until established.<ref name="EnvWeeds" /> The seeds easily germinate under the tree in the existing leaf litter of the mother tree, by the hundreds at once and can easily be transplanted.{{Cn|date=April 2024}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Wikispecies}} * [http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=907 ''Schinus molle'' List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's)] * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120402011539/http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/spice-entry.php?term=Pink%20Pepper Celtnet Spice Guide entry for Pink Peppercorns]}}
{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q855896}}
molle Category:Dioecious plants Category:Drought-tolerant trees Category:Flora naturalised in Australia Category:Medicinal plants Category:Ornamental trees Category:Peppers Category:Flora of Northwest Argentina Category:Flora of Northeast Argentina Category:Trees of Brazil Category:Trees of Paraguay Category:Trees of Peru Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Plants described in 1753