Overcast could describe the usually clear sunny skies in South Florida on Sunday, I waited for some sunlight and finally took my vase outside to snap some pictures. I barely finished the photos and planting my winter containers before the proverbial bottom dropped out and was inundated with rain.
The berries in the vase are beautiful, but, unfortunately, very bad. They are from the Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) an invasive plant brought into Florida in the mid 1800s – marketed as Florida Holly. Spread by birds eating the lovely berries, Brazilian Pepper now is illegal to plant and infests more that half a million acres of land in South Florida, choking everything in its wake. Someone planted five across my backyard, undoubtedly to screen the neighbors-by the time we arrived the plants were 35 feet wide and it took us at least five years to begin winning the pepper battle. A few still survive and I saved the state of Florida hundreds of trees by cutting the berries to create this vase!
The white flowers are from Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica); grey stem is a flower from the Flapjack Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora); ferns are Asian Sword Ferns. It occurred to me as I was arranging this vase, a good vase is like a good pasta sauce, it takes a few more ingredients than you would think to make it tasty!
Happy Monday.
The Shrub Queen 
And like a good pasta sauce, your vase contains some pepper! Too bad that the beautiful berries are from an invasive plant but good for you for fighting the pepper war. Your arrangement is festive and must smell delicious as well.
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The plant is the source for pink peppercorns, I think. Haven’t eaten any though there was some in the pasta. I have been getting your blog via email, but can’t comment on it.?
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Love the frangipani! Such a glorious smell – I can imagine how delicious your vase must smell! My vase this week is a last contribution from my visit to Australia – I am home now, back to 3 degrees from 38 in Melbourne last Friday! I have come back to very little in the garden but hopefully can find something for next week! Amanda https://therunningwave.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-vase-on-monday.html
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Thank you, these are very lightly scented..going to see your Australian confection.
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Gosh, how easily plants become invasive – well done for single handedly tackling the problem of these!! They are certainly an asset for a vase, if nothing else,, and a great contrast with the white Frangipani. Thanks for sharing
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It is amazing, and we had a lot of help getting rid of the offending plants! I do enjoy a few during the holidays.
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I love that your vase has a holiday feel and yet brighter and lighter than up north where we would be using evergreens. And you are so right about pasta; yours looks yummy!
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Thank you ,Linda. Pasta and Plants are my downfalls.
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No fair with the food, Queen. Really great post.
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Thanks, Flower. I have, unfortunately, learned to make Alfredo sauce.
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Festive and pretty combination, Amelia. Your Brazilian Pepper sounds like our Asian Bittersweet– pretty, but terrible in how it takes over.
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Thank you, Eliza and it is another bittersweet plant–beautiful but not so nice.
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The berries may be “bad” but they’re also beautifully shiny. A mystery plant appeared at the edge of a dry stack wall early on here and I let it stay awhile as I sought to identify it. When I posted a photo of it on my blog, it was identified by another blogger as the Brazilian pepper and I was urged to get rid of it – quickly! Luckily, we dug it up before it bloomed. Still, I love your arrangement this week. Dinner looks pretty good too!
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Thanks, Kris. I did not think they were so bad in California!
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It is amazing how someone’s “good idea” to introduce new plants can become such a disaster. But, they do look nice.
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Yes, I was just reading about the first area Bradford Pears were planted -now overrun. Not nice to fool with Mother Nature sometimes.
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Oh, I recognized them immediately! Brazilian pepper was still being planted in Los Angles in the 1980s. It is probably still available, just not so desirable.
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I have seen some beautifully pruned Peppertrees from California, they don’t look the same here.
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Gorgeous! What a shame these lovely shiny berries are invasive. It’s always a treat to see your wonderful white frangipani. The pasta dish looks yummy.
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Thank you, it is a shame, though I understand why people like them.
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Oh yes, a nice sprinkling of pepper and some ‘greenery’ simply MAKE the sauce. 😉 Looks very festive!
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Thanks, Cathy Fröhliche Weihnachten!
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Gorgeous. And Christmas-y too. And I like the reference to pasta sauce!
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