Re: Schinus molle - California Pepper, the scum

HI Carol,

I'm a neighbor--

I love pepper Trees--what else can we have that has the grace of a weeping willow without needing the water?

I have a similar situation and agave attenuata grows well in the understory, along with other large succulents like those large dinner-plate echiums, and aloes. The succulents are good firebreak.

 I do think the Fire Dept sometimes has trouble understanding garden if its not a lawn. We were ticketed one year, but then we invited them into our garden ( which is rather hidden)and explained, and then we didn't have the ticket.

Best of luck,
laura

On Dec 31, 2006, at 10:56 AM, Carol Joynson wrote:

I know I should rip it out. Evil incarnate etc., etc.  But 1) it's huge and provides wonderful privacy on my hillside, 2) can't afford to (do you know what they charge!??!! - worth it considering the location, but not in my budget).
 
So - it's sitting in the middle of my lotline where the native hedgerow is going in.  I would like to get as close to it as possible, maybe some understory.  Have heard the tales of alleopathy, have searched for details on web, nothing except some docs that suggest the real problem is suffocation: the tree puts out massive amounts of litter.  Even found a piece suggesting they would make great farmland reclamation trees in Africa: low water requirement, enormous biomass contribution.
 
Does anyone have anything  specific on what sort of California native (or other medit type, but this is for the birds and beasts) could possibly grow in the understory of a Schinus molle?  I'm more than willing to provide a weekly shake-out for the litter problem until the undergrowth is high enough (and I'm rich enough) to remove or severely cut-back the big tree.
 
Thanks,
Carol
Eagle Rock (Los Angeles, NE)
 
``Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity'' - Hanlon's Razor

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