Brazilian Peppertree
Schinus terebinthifolius
- Native to:
- Argentina, Brazil, Guam, Paraguay, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
H. Zell
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Anacardiaceae
- Genus:
- Schinus
- Species:
- Schinus terebinthifolius
- USDA Symbol:
- SCTE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 1000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- white, cream
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Calleta silkmoth (Eupackardia calleta), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Episimus moth (Episimus utilis), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Lebeau's silk moth (Rothschildia lebeau), Mendocino saturnia moth (Saturnia mendocino), Neumoegen's buckmoth (Hemileuca neumoegeni), Oslar's eacles (Eacles oslari), Oslar's oakworm moth (Anisota oslari), Regal Moth (Citheronia regalis), Splendid Royal Moth (Citheronia splendens), streaked sphinx (Protambulyx strigilis), Walter's saturnia moth (Saturnia walterorum), fulvous hairstreak (Electrostrymon angelia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from roots and stumps following fire or cutting, contributing to its invasive potential.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to coastal areas with poor soil
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment; bird-dispersed seeds show higher germination rates due to gut passage.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI