regnum-plantae:

Schinus molle, Anacardiaceae

When I first saw this small tree while on holiday in Lanzarote I had a feeling I had seen it before, but I only remembered what it was when I came across a few female plants bearing clusters of small, bright pink fruits. Not all trees were laden with them though, as the pepper tree, also known as Peruvian and Californian pepper tree, is a dioecious species with separate sexes on distinct individuals. 

Native to arid and desertic areas of the Andean region spanning from Peru to Argentina, this compact, evergreen tree is well adapted to withstand prolonged draught and to benefit from winter rains, factors which made it very successful as an ornamental plant in the Canary Islands and many other parts of the world, like the Mediterranean, Africa and Australia, where it is often naturalised if not invasive. Although it is unrelated to the real pepper plant (Piper nigrum) the small drupes it produces following tiny white, star-shaped flowers, smell and taste very similar and are the source of what we know as pink peppercorn. I collected a few and checked their germination rate in this period using the wet towel and sealed plastic bag method: two out of six germinated readily within a week, but I realised that it is probably a good idea to take the time to completely remove the dry pink skin from the woody seed, as the two seedlings were covered in mould. I will try again later on this spring and will probably lightly sand them to remove the skin and thin out the seed coat to somewhat mimic avian seed dispersal, which is what generally improves germination of this plant. 

When the tree is pruned, the bark exudes a white resinous gum which has been traditionally used to treat digestive issues, whereas the aromatic oil contained in most parts of the plant have antiseptic, antibacterial and insecticide properties. Although the dried fruits are a common food item, care should be taken as they can cause allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to other Anacardiaceae like cashews (Anacardium occidentale) and pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera).