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Broad-leaf pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia)

Broad-leaf pepper tree is an introduced, fast-growing weed that forms dense growth in bushland, coastal areas and wetlands in Australia. It can damage agricultural and natural environments, and its sap and other plant toxins can harm people and animals.

Key facts

Type: Weed, tree.

Native to: South America.

Established in: QLD, NSW, WA.

Other names: Brazilian pepper tree.

Best time to act: Look for bright-red berries over winter and treat plants while they are actively growing, controlling seedlings before they begin producing fruit.

Identification

  • It is a broad-topped, fast-growing, multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, usually 1–6 m tall but sometimes reaching 15 m.
  • Its dark-green leaves have 3–9 oval leaflets, usually opposite, with a single, slightly larger leaflet at the tip; crushed leaves smell peppery.
  • Small white flowers with greenish-yellow sepals are mostly present in autumn, but can grow year-round.
  • Female plants produce bright-red, peppery-smelling berries, 4–5 mm wide, with one kidney-shaped seed; the fruit is present over winter.
  • Look-alike: Pepper tree (Schinus molle var. areira) has pendulous branches and much narrower leaflets, 2–10 mm wide.

Where it grows

In Australia it grows across north-eastern NSW, including in habitats from mangrove forests and coastal sand dunes to riparian zones, wetlands and waterholes, and can also grow on drier soils in high-rainfall areas.

Why it matters

  • In agricultural areas it shades pasture, makes livestock movement and mustering difficult, blocks access to water and hosts diseases that affect mango and citrus trees.
  • In natural areas it spreads through disturbed bushland, outcompetes native plants and can dominate the understorey, reducing food and shelter for native animals.
  • Sap contains urushiols that can cause severe skin reactions and breathing difficulties; leaves and fruit contain other toxins that can cause gastroenteritis in people, cattle and horses.

How it spreads

  • Birds and mammals eat the berries and spread seeds; seeds defecated by birds are more viable than seeds in intact fruit.
  • Fruit floats, allowing seeds to spread in fresh and salt water; seeds can remain viable after fruit floats in salty water for a week.
  • Seeds are usually viable for up to nine months, and plants can also produce suckers from their roots.

Control options

  • Hand-pull or dig out isolated seedlings; for larger trees, cut them down and remove the stump, wearing protective clothing and avoiding contact with sap.
  • Use only herbicides registered or permitted for the site and method, and follow the product label and permit directions; methods include spraying actively growing plants, basal bark treatment, cut stump and stem injection.
  • Follow up after initial control by checking for and treating regrowth and new seedlings; control seedlings before they are three years old and start producing fruit.
  • In the Hunter and North Coast exclusion zones, notify the local control authority if the plant is found; contact the local council weeds officer for identification advice.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Avoid moving berries, fruiting branches, soil or plant waste from infested sites, and clean boots, tools, vehicles and machinery before leaving.
  • Keep berries and plant material out of waterways, as floating fruit can spread seeds.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Restricted matter, category 3. Do not give it away, sell or release it into the environment. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Regional priority in 2 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Hunter, North Coast. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Declared weed, Class A and B. Class A: to be eradicated. Class B: growth and spread must be controlled. All declared weeds are also Class C, so they must not be brought into the NT.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources