Help identifying a volunteer

[Dewolla]

Hi. I found a volunteer tree or shrub growing in my back yard and hope someone can help identify it for me.

The picture is posted on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens with the subject of "ID volunteer tree." The first photo is a detail of the leaf, the second is the whole plant in a 3-inch pot. It is doing quite well on my sunny window sill.

I live in California, zone 9b, Sunset zone 15.

The leaves are (I think this is right) pinnate, arranged opposite, elongated lance-shaped and toothed. Stem is woody. Closest matches I could come up with are sumac, jacaranda, or mountain ash, although none seem exactly right.

Any ideas? TIA.

- Dewolla Stepon

[Scorp]

Schinus molle. aka California pepper plant, pink pepper

I have a couple of these that I've grown from seed that I "aquired" while visiting Bakersfield in July.

I live in Canada. Vancouver area of B.C. exactly. Zone 8b. (yes it's true).

Even so I'm afraid these will remain house plants for me :) As far as being edible I've seen both yes and no, anybody?

Steve [e-mail]

[Dewolla]

Thanks, Steve!

I didn't know if you were right or not, but after checking out some websites I learned that the entire plant is fragrant. I crushed one of the dropped leaves and it smelled of pepper!

Does it do well in a container? Does it produce fruit?

Thanks again,

- Dewolla Stepon

[Scorp]

No prob.

Haven't tried that, but I will :)

Was a very fast grower under my MH HID light. I also have 1 on my window sill and it's doing good, not growing very fast but it is middle of winter! AFAIK it will produce peppers. Just not sure of their edibitility. I'm going to plant a couple outside just because I have 4 going. But doubt they will last any winter here, without help anyways.

Steve [e-mail]

[Jim Lewis]

edibitility.

going. But

"Botanica" says the berries have a "peppery taste and have been used like pepper, but are somewhat toxic" -- whatever *that* means. I guess "somewhat toxic" means they'll make you sick but won't kill you. ;-)

Trees in the genus Schinus have a propensity to becoming invasive. We're spending millions in a fruitless effort to eradicate (or even control) S. terebinthifolius in the Everglades.

Jim Lewis - [e-mail] - Tallahassee, FL - Apples and Oranges: A Demonstration -- Welcome to Hooterville! Population:

2000. Elevation: 3000. Established: 1850. TOTAL = 6850 -- Bob Lilienfield