Brazilian Pepper Tree Problem

We live at the end of a canal off the Caloosahatchee River.  Almost everyone here has a boat or boats, but unfortunately most of the boats never get used. We are about the only ones on our canal that use our boats regularly. One of the things we liked was there were big tall trees all around. Big trees and sailboats sometimes fight each other.

There is a big mast-catching tree just down from our dock, which has a large limb that stretches out over the canal. The limb is about 30’ off the water so to get past it we have to hug the opposite side of the canal to get past the tree. The other side of the canal is overgrown with Brazilian Pepper Trees. Brazilian Pepper Trees were imported to Florida as an ornamental.  They now are listed as an invasive exotic species as they outgrow the native vegetation…big-time! The owner of the bank with the Brazilian Peppers is in their 80s, and cannot trim them back.

Once or twice a year I take our dinghy out on the canal and trim back these peppers so I can get our sailboats out easily. It is a big undertaking. You load the dingy with cutting tools, motor over to the peppers, and then cut over-hanging branches. Next, collect the branches and put them in the dinghy and bring them back to the dock. Then unload them from the dinghy and run them threw the chipper or bundle them up for pickup. It usually takes 3 or 4 trips to clear enough branches out to make it easy to get our boats in or out. It is a ½ day job by the time all is done and cleanup of the dinghy is complete. Then, you have to get the sap off your hands and arms.

When I start the trimming project, no one is around to help or volunteers to help. If your boat has no mast there is no problem going in and out of the canal. When I am done they let me know it looks better. Best of all, I can get my mast passed the mast-grabbing tree.

 

See the story about "Directions said use VINYL gloves", The sap on my hands made me think of the story.