Beware the Brazilian PepperTree - Pretty, Invasive, Toxic
Introduced to Florida around 1890 as an ornamental shrub, the Brazilian Pepper plant is now widespread throughout Florida. It's an evergreen and with it's glossy leaves, it is quite a pretty plant especially around the holidays when it puts on clusters of red berries. Because of that, it is often - and falsely - called "Florida Holly".
As mentioned, Brazilian Pepper has become widespread in the frostfree areas of Florida and is now considered an invasive species that will crowd out other, native plants. So much so, that Brazilian Pepper is legally prohibited from sale, transport, or propagation in Florida and in fact, categorized as a Category 1 pest by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.
Birds will eat the seeds and thus spread the plant. Locally, there is a Hernando County ordinance about the removal of Brazilian Pepper on private property. Brazilian Pepper eradication efforts are under way in many areas but Brazilian Pepper is a hardy plant that requires special consideration regarding removal of stumps, roots, and use of special herbicides.
Getting in contact with the leaves or the sap of the plant will often result in skin reactions in sensitive people and even burning the plant can result in reactions from inhaling the fumes. Toxic effects in birds and other wildlife has also been observed.
So next time you are gardening and see a young shoot coming up in your Florida yard, especially along fence lines, take a look and see if it might be Brazilian Pepper. Then carefully pull it out including the root and discard it in the trash while it is still young.
Beware the Brazilian Pepper Tree - Pretty, Invasive, Toxic
I am a REALTOR serving Hernando County, Florida including Spring Hill and Hernando Beach, Florida. Aside from real-estate related topics, I frequently write about living in our area, wildlife, Florida nature, plants, local events, and more.
If you are interested in more information or information about available homes for sale in Hernando County, please contact me at 352-584-7441.
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