PLANTS
CITY DECLARES WAR
on Brazilian pepper trees
Invasive plant once again the target of
campaign to remove it from rights of way
BY CHRISTINA TASCON
They come to Florida, plant
their roots and then take over
the neighborhood. That’s right,
we are talking about those
leafy, invasive, nonnative Brazilian pepper
trees.
In the 1840s, Brazilian pepper trees
(or Schinus terebinthifolius) emigrated
from South America and set their
roots in deep, trying to take over the
Florida landscape. The plant loves
warm weather and lots of sunshine, so
it settled in and made Florida its home,
having come from similar climes in
Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
ENEMY OF THE STATE
Floridians cultivated its use as a tree
or shrub because of its ornamental red
berries and lush green leaves. In fact,
many homeowners like its green fullness,
enjoying the privacy the pepper
tree offers as a barrier between neighbors
and roadways. However pepper
trees usurp the position of native vegetation,
upsetting the local ecology like
another well-known intruder — kudzu,
an Asian vine that has smothered southeastern
landscapes.
The South Florida Water Management
District has deemed the Brazilian
pepper tree an enemy of the state; it
requires the trees to be removed from
rights of way, new developments and
public land. The tree is not the only
nonnative species to try and bully its
way into Florida — see the Old World
climbing fern and the water hyacinth —
but the pepper tree is one of the most
aggressive. Its takeover is especially
prevalent in Port St. Lucie, which was
cleared of most of its native vegetation
when it was originally platted and
readied for development. The SFWMD
has spent at least $20 million in each of
the last five years to remove the pepper
trees, and the fight continues.
CHEMICAL ATTACK
Port St. Lucie’s Division of Environmental
Services is working to abolish
the plants along its rights of way
between the Florida Turnpike east to
the St. Lucie River and from Southbend
Boulevard north to Archer Avenue. The
project began in early August and crews
will be chemically treating the plants
with basal oil and Garlon, a herbicide,
until late November and early December
to kill the plants before pruning the
dead trees back with vertical mowers.
September to November is when the
plants are flowering; they usually bear
fruit in December, so this is the best
time to prevent its berries from seeding.
There really are only two ways to
eliminate pepper trees other than to
28 Port St. Lucie Magazine
remove them — one is chemically and
the other is extreme cold. Unfortunately,
Florida does not have many intense
cold spells and treatment is not winning
the battle, but does help keep rights of
way clear temporarily.
“We have to target pepper trees every
single day and it is just one of several
plants,” John Dunton, DES project manager,
said. “It is perpetual maintenance
statewide to control the growth of these
nonnative invasive exotic plants. They
consume other vegetation and outcompete
native plants, which creates an
imbalance of the natural flora.”
The city is asking drivers to use caution
when driving through the areas
where workers are, as well as for people
to avoid jogging, walking or allowing
pets and children to play nearby while
crews are on site.
E
CITY OF PORT ST LUCIE
After hacking a pepper tree, a workers treats it with basal oil and the herbicide Garlon to kill it. Once
they have died, the trees are then pruned with a vertical mower.