Florida Holly is Not So Festive After All

In northeast Florida as we celebrate the holidays we may enjoy the presence of "Florida Holly" trees in our yard producing red berries to enhance the season. Think again: these trees are actually a highly invasive species better known as the Brazilian-pepper tree!

Schinus terebinthifolius is also mistaken for the innocent sounding "Christmasberry" tree, but this plant is responsible for allergic skin reactions and respiratory illness (when blooming), not to mention that over 700,000 acres in Florida are covered by this weed making these areas inhospitable to native plants and wildlife.

The Brazilian-pepper tree is actually native to Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina and was introduced to Florida in the 1800s to be cultivated and sold as an ornamental plant. Why does it enjoy Florida and the rest of agricultural zones 9-11 so much? Its salt tolerance is high, it will grow in any soil, has no nutritional requirements, grows very quickly, has high drought tolerance, and loves full sun.

Not at all related to holly but rather to poison ivy, this trickster has the potential to create a dense forest canopy that shades out all other foliage and produces such a poor habitat for native wildlife species that almost nothing other than the Brazilian-pepper itself will survive. It is highly prohibited to plant Brazilian-pepper tree or encourage its growth.

On an interesting note, this plant is grown for culinary purposes in other countries and marketed as "pink peppercorns" here by itself or in spice blends. Bees love the flowers of Brazilian-pepper and make honey from its nectar. Raccoons and possums eat the fruit of the plant and contribute to its spread by passing the seeds, as do seed loving birds such as the migratory American Robin. It is believed that some birds and other wildlife adore the berries of this plant for their narcotic effects at certain times of the year.

If you have "Florida Holly" in your yard, you can use its fruit-laden branches as Christmas decorations because the small bright red berries will mature between December and January. From a professional standpoint, it is never acceptable for a landscape designer to encourage these invasive species for landscaping in Ormond Beach, St. Augustine, or Palm Coast.

🦚Article by Connie Helena, author of The Green Orchid ðŸ¦š