[Arid_gardener] Pepper Trees

[Dick Gross]

I grew Braizilian Pepper trees in San Diego but, in 50 years residing in Southern California where they thrive, I never heard of humans or animals eating the berry or the foliage. If you get a tree, however, a male species is much less messy. It is a beautiful, grotesquely shaped landscape tree as it ages but, I assure you. it is nothing I would want on my scrambled eggs. I would be vvery surprised if this "pepper' is fit for human or animal consumption. II have never heard of an American pepper tree but it may well exist. I suspect your friend is pulling your leg and I am reasonably sure other gardeners will respond and confirm. I welcome different opinions.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
Maricopa County Cooperative Extension  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joe Cady 
  To: Arid Gardener 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 9:15 PM
  Subject: [Arid_gardener] Pepper Trees


  Arid Gardener:

  A friend of mine is trying to get me to put a couple of pepper trees in my yard.
  This is the type of pepper tree on which one can grow peppercorns to use as
  black pepper.  He recommends either a Brazilian pepper tree or an American
  pepper tree.  

  Is this the type of tree that will grow well in Chandler, AZ or is someone telling
  me a story?  How much care is needed and are the peppercorns harvested from
  the trees viable for using as ground pepper?

  Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

  Joe Cady


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  Arid_gardener mailing list
  Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
  http://CALS.arizona.edu/mailman2/listinfo/arid_gardener
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://CALS.arizona.edu/pipermail/arid_gardener/attachments/20070328/5a51d117/attachment-0001.html