Pepper tree scent

[Clang!]

I've been trying to identify a plant that grows a lot around the archery range where I shoot. It looks like a Peru Pepper Tree.

I've seen in in both shrub form up to about 7 ft tall and conventional tree.

The few remaining fruit are dried out and only smell slightly of pepper, so I can't say for sure that's what is is. When the leaves are crushed there is a very strong mint smell.

The ecosystem is chaparral, ~800 ft elevation, inland, and last burned three years ago.

Is the mint smell a characteristic of the pepper tree? The only information I can find on the plant is that the leaves emit a strong aroma when crushed, but no information on that aroma.

Thanks

 

[Joezilla]

are you in FLA? Have you noticed a nasty finish it gives to the metal? I've encountered those in Florida while bushwhacking in the less populated keys, and in the everglades here and there.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/405

Doesn't look like the same leaves though.

 

[Clang!]

I'm in southern California. I haven't noticed any residue on the blade, but it's a SAK and pretty stain resistant

 

[Grampa]

Yup, that's a Peruvian Pepper Tree. Very common introduced tree in SoCal. Not the same as black pepper, but if you mix the dried "berries" with black pepper kernels, you get "gourmet" pepper for your pepper grinder!

And yes, it has a unique smell - wouldn't call it mint-smelling myself, but it does have a strong scent.

 

[Planetcat]

I'm in Nor Cal and my neighbor has those all over his backyard, dropping junk all over my yard and my other neighbors. They do have a distinct smell, and the bees seem to really love them in the spring when they're blooming.