Schinus molle is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 meters and is native to the Peruvian Andes. The bright pink clusters of fruit of the tree are often sold as "pink peppercorns" although S. molle is not related to true pepper. The word molle comes from mulli, the Quechua [an indigenous language spoken in the Peruvian Andes] word for the tree. Schinus molle is used in traditional medicine for its analgesic, antifungal, antitumoral, antispasmodic, diuretic, and topical antiseptic characteristics, and to treat hypertension, wounds, bacterial infections and asthma.
All parts of the tree have high oil and essential oil contents that produce a spicy, aromatic scent. The berries have a peppery flavor and are used in syrups, vinegar, and beverages in Peru, added to Chilean wines, and are dried and ground as a pepper substitute in the tropics. Almost all parts of this tree, its leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, resin, and oleoresin (or balsam) have been used medicinally by indigenous peoples while the tree appears in ancient religious artifacts and on idols among some of the ancient Chilean Amerindians. The pepper tree is still used in herbal medicine today in several countries.

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