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Schinus polygama
Anacardiaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Schinus polygama

Schinus polygama

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Schinus polygama is a plant of the warm temperate to tropical zones, usually found at moderate elevations in the tropics. Plants are very variable in their cold tolerance depending on their provenance, with some able to withstand temperatures below freezing[1]. Most forms are not very hardy outdoors in cooler parts of the temperate zone, but selected forms succeed when grown against a sunny wall[1]. A plant growing in a fairly sunny position, but under quite dense tree cover, at Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire (zone 7) is thriving and had set a large crop of fruit in September 1996[PFAF]. Prefers a well-drained soil[2], succeeding in a hot dry position[3]. It requires a sunny position in a poor rather than rich soil[4, 2]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance[1]. Dioecious, both male and female forms must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - sow in a nursery seedbed in a semi-shaded position[5]. A high germination rate is usually achieved within 20 - 30 days[5]. Transplant the seedlings to individual containers when they are about 4 - 5cm tall and plant out when about 20 - 30cm tall. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 8cm with a heel, August to early September in a frame. Fair to good percentage[6]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Schinus+polygama>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2002 · ISBN 85-86714-15-1 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
  6. [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  7. [7]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  8. [8]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  9. [9]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  10. [10]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  11. [11]Flora of Chile. (in Spanish) — ? ↩︎Some information about the useful plants of Chile.
  12. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎