Report From the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's Brazilian Pepper Task Force , edited by Amy Ferriter of the South Florida Water Management District. How To Identify Brazilian Pepper-Tree Brazilian pepper is a small tree , to 30 feet tall , with a short trunk usually hidden by dense intertwining branches . The leaves have a reddish, sometimes winged midrib . Leaves have 3 to 13 finely toothed leaflets which are 1 to 2 inches long. Leaves smell of turpentine when crushed.
Flowers are white.
The fruits are in clusters, glossy, green and juicy at first, becoming bright red. The red skin dries to become a papery shell surrounding the seed. Go here to see pics of Brazilian pepper spreading on Cape Canveral and the Kennedy Space Center.