Re: Schinus molle-Weed trees in California?

--- Ryan Gyurkovitz <r.gyurkovitz@verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> Schinus terebinthifolius may not spread like a weed
> in California, but
> it's cousin, Schinus molle sure does, to such a
> degree that it is often
> known as the "California Pepper Tree" in spite of
> being native to the
> Peruvian Andes. Possibly it is not as well adapted
> up in your neck of
> the woods? I find it ironic, that the Peruvian
> Pepper Tree  is the
> "Native" tree most loved by (American) visitors to
> the southern half of
> the state (many seem to find the shape of our oaks
> unattractive, so
> accustomed they are, I suppose, to the taller,
> straighter trees of their
> home).

Ryan, 

I wasn't aware that S. molle was reseeding itself
around in Southern California, I've not seen it doing
this myself.  It is well behaved here in the Bay Area,
at least it doesn't escape into the wild, but is
perfectly content with no attention at all.  It is
sometimes used as a street tree in San Francisco, but
generally does better, and certainly grows much
faster, in hotter summer areas.  The tree is also
messy and difficult to garden under, but the billowy
foliage is unique and pleasing, making great shade and
branches for climbing.  The psyllid which attacks
their foliage can make them look unnatractive at
times, and many trees in inland northern
California(USDA zone 8a or colder) were severely
damaged by the 1990 December freeze, although most
came back to original size within 5 years time.

I'd always assumed that the local name came from how
commonly this had been planted by the missions and
settlers from Mexico.  This was a very early
introduced tree from South America, which the spanish
found very useful.  Most other early introductions at
the time were valued for useful fruit, timber or other
economic uses, and S. molle was probably most valued
for the large shade canopy created with so little care
and reliance on natural rainfall.

As cast iron as the tree is, some might find it
interesting to know that it is killed at sustained
high desert temperatures as found in parts of the
middle east.  Four months of summer night temps over
110F would severely debilitate the tree in Saudi
Arabia, stopping all growth by early summer, losing
most of its leaves.  Trees would die within 3 years of
planting.  A Ficus species was also similarly
affected, F. rubiginosa, which could survive if the
foliage was shaded.  I had always considered both
these  trees as well adapted to hot places, until
seeing them suffer so in Riyadh.

It is hard to believe you find so many out of state
visitors don't appreciate the appearance of our Coast
Live Oaks.  The oldest groves with 300 year old trees
a 100 ' across and branches arching down to the ground
can be just as dramatic as the Southern Live Oaks of
the deep USA south, or  the tropical Rain
Trees-Samanea saman of Hawaii.   

With so many place names throughout California
affectionately named for the original oaks, I think
that more people have found them beautiful than
boring, or we wouldn't have places like Thousand Oaks,
Oakland, etc.  It is a pity that the oak woodlands 
they're named for no longer exist, or as isolated
remnants.  They typically serve as suburban markers
for all the creeks  emptying into the bay.

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