Plants that can survive under California Pepper (Schinus molle) trees

Most California pepper trees you see will have nothing growing under them for two reasons: one is that they produce a chemical which is mildly poisonous to other plants, and the other is that they form a dense mat of surface roots. However, most of us don’t love the idea of bare earth or mulch under our pepper trees.

In scouring the web, I found plenty of information about plants that would grow under oaks and eucalyptus, the other two most common culprits, but very little about understory plantings for pepper trees. So, I have been assembling a list, and I’d like to share it. Any other plants that you know of that can survive under Schinus? If so, reach out and let me know- I’ll add it to the list!

Agave americana, Bergenia cordifolia, Cyclamen, Hedera (ivy), Lamium, Myoporum parvifolium, Rosmarinus prostratus, Sarcoccoca, Senecio mandralascae, Vinca minor.