Originally from South America, Brazilian pepper is a highly invasive plant that aggressively consumes native vegetation in our Florida ecosystems. This plant is believed to have been brought in to the United States years ago for its attractive red berries. Once in a location, Brazilian pepper produces hundreds to thousands of red berries which propagate the plant further. Birds aid in seed dispersal as they love the ruby red berries for food. Since it has such an aggressive growth rate, Brazilian pepper quickly shades out native plant material, killing native vegetation.
One can now find Brazilian pepper as far north as St Johns county 1. If you see this plant in your yard, it is highly recommended you remove it and throw it away in a trash bag. Communities such as the Ocean Hammock have taken special measures to fight this aggressive invasive. Control involves removal and an immediate application of the correct herbicide for successful kill. You can visit the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plant with the University of Florida IFAS Extension for more information about this plant and effective control measures.
Information source: 1Brazilian Pepper Tree. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. University of Florida IFAS Extension. 2008. Accessed May 25, 2010. http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/405.
