Peppercorn trees

from w
When you see a peppercorn tree in this part of the world it usually signifies a settlement about a hundred years ago. There are several along a fenceline in a couple of neighbouring properties on our road, so I took a couple of photos, then messed about with them. The trees are very shaggy and the peppercorns are green or pink in colour. Not many young ones seem to be deliberately planted, though I remember in Richmond (Melbourne) one time, at the Uniting Church there, Peceli drove over one little seedling when someone had locked his car inside a church compound and the only way out was to demolish the plant. Then he got the bill for $30! We argued that such seedlings are two for ten cents! Another story - there was a great 'to-do' in a country town, Hopetoun, when a group of people wanted to chop down a group of peppercorn trees at the old primary school as another group of people regarded them a heritage. I wrote a ballad about it so I'll try and find the words.