The Evening News. October 28, 1916

26. Two Mother Pepper Trees

One of the most beautiful and the most greatly admired trees in California is the pepper. People wonder where it came from.

It is a native of Peru and of other sub-tropical countries in South America where it grows wild. In 1510 Don Antonio de Mendoza, first Spanish viceroy to Peru, sent the pepper tree to Mexico, where it was set out to such an extent and where it became so popular as a shade tree, that Dr. Asa Gray, the botanist, wonders whether it was not indigenous to Mexico.

Later the viceroy sent the pepper (arboles de Peru) to Europe, where it was widely known at the close of the sixteenth century. In Europe pepper trees were called the mastic, or mulli, trees.

The pepper is not allied to the pepper of commerce, but to the sumac family. It is a misnomer for the schimus molle. The natives of South American brewed from it a drink.

Precisely how the pepper tree came to California has always been a matter for speculation and doubt. Probably it was first grown at the Mission San Luis Rey, near Oceanside, San Diego. Mrs. Bowman, a well known woman of Los Angeles, says that Don John Warner, one of the earliest settlers of the south, told her that in 1831 he stopped at the Mission San Luis Rey. The padre in charge showed him some curious young plants that had just come up. He said that some time before a sailor had brought him a package of seeds. Both the padre and Don John wondered about the plants. The padre afterwards set them out around the Mission. They lived many years, and one was standing in 1913, the Mother Pepper tree of California.

The first pepper tree in Northern California came to San Jose about 1810, and it passed its entire life on the pepper tree lot, 410 South Market street, where twenty years ago Mr. Paul Masson built his residence. At that time Mr. Masson tried to have the old pepper tree spared, but it was impossible. Down came the tree. This pepper tree was the mother of all the others in San Jose, in Santa Clara valley, and probably of all the pepper trees in Northern California.

The Mother Pepper tree arrived in San Jose from Santa Barbara as a very small child. In fact, it was one of a handful of seeds brought by a carefree young man, Sebastian Flores. Flores liked to travel, and he often rode in the southern part of the State. He took great pleasure in flowers and trees, and often he brought to San Jose something odd that pleased him. He found the pepper tree in Santa Barbara.

Sebastian Flores' aunt, Mrs. Juan Sepulveda, lived at 445 South Market street in 1840. The lot was given Juan Sepulveda about 1800 by the governor of California for his service as a soldier. To Mrs. Sepulveda, Sebastian Flores brought the seeds of the now tree.

Mrs. Luisa Mesa, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sepulveda, was born in the adobe house that stood on the site of Mr. Masson's residence eighty-eight years ago. Mrs. Mesa is still living, and she has an excellent memory. She has a little house near Seventeenth and Mission streets. She tells of the event of Sebastian Flores bringing the pepper seed.

The Sepulvedas like all Spanish people, were fond of pepper, and they thought they should be able to grow black pepper such as is used on tables. They watched the sowing of the seed by their mother in a little box. Every day they looked to see signs of green peeping through the earth.

Weeds came first and discouraged them. But at last two young trees peeped above the ground. When they were old enough to be transplanted Mrs. Juan Sepulveda set them out in the garden. One withered and died, but one survived. It was the Mother Pepper. She has produced miles and acres of beautiful children.

When Mother Pepper started to blossom people came from afar to look at her. At that time there were irrigating ditches in the streets of San Jose. One of the ditches flowed past the Sepulveda place. Mother Pepper tree had plenty of encouragement and water. She grew to be huge. When she died she seemed to have lived more than sixty years.

As Mother Pepper tree grew old she inspired terror. The rumor grew that someone had been hanged on her branches, and ghosts came out of the pepper tree at night. Children fled from her. But Mother Pepper tree was not haunted. She had a placid, happy life.

Sebastian Flores, the careless young man who brought so much beauty into the tree world of Northern California, died a few years ago in Oakland.

Transcribed by Kitty LaFavor, for the Santa Clara Co. CAGenWeb Project. 2008