Do The Dropped Leaves Of Pepper Trees Act As Growth Inhibitors To Neighboring Fruit Trees

Question

My fig trees have not grown or produced any sizable fruit as they had done when the pepper trees that line my property were smaller………I am wondering if the dropped fruit and leaves of the pepper trees that have landed on the soil around my fig trees and blue point cypress contain some chemical that acts as a growth inhibitor………..Does anybody have any information regarding this problem?

Answer 1

You guessed correctly! A University of California master gardener site says pepper tree foliage and fruit contain germination and growth inhibitor.

Here's the link: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=38575#:~:text=Pepper%20trees%20have%20vigorous%20surface,and%20growth%20of%20other%20plants.