Schinus terebinthifolia

Native to eastern South America, this evergreen shrub or small tree has a densely branched crown. Compound leaves have several glossy leaflets, and branching clusters contain many small cream flowers. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Numerous round fruits mature from green to bright red and persist in dense groups. The leaflets are aromatic when crushed. It is invasive in Florida, Hawaii, South Africa, and Australia, where it forms dense thickets and displaces native vegetation. Contact with the plant can cause an allergic skin rash. Birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. Photographed in Colombia.