The Brazilian pepper (Schinus teribinthifolius) is a nice evergreen tree and is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees. Small white flowers appear on the female tree in the spring producing the small berries. Although it is not a true pepper, (they are members of the Anacardiaceae family) their dried berries are often sold as pink peppercorns. Volatile terpenes are present in the berries, and can irritate the mucous membranes of sensitive people, so moderation is advised in using the berries as a condiment. The seeds can be used as a spice if used in moderation, adding a pepper-like taste to food, but they are toxic in large amounts. The Brazilian Pepper has aromatic sap that can cause skin reactions (similar to poison-ivy burns) in some sensitive people. As with all trees, make sure you are watering to a depth of three feet. If you haven't done so already move the emitters out to the drip line (edge of the branches) where most of the feeder roots are. During the warm months this tree should be deep watered once every 7 - 10 days. You may want to check your drip schedule as you could be overwatering. Soggy soils can cause yellowing leaves. Here is a link that might be useful: Landscape Watering Guidelines

The Rhus integrifolia is a native tree that grows quite vertical and makes a screen to about 20 feet high. It is evergreen, not nearly as messy as the pepper trees. It responds well to pruning, does not require summer water, and the roots will not surface and raise walkways. You should be able to find it at native plant nurseries. Al

That would be correct- the pepper tree would be the only thing providing privacy should the oleander die away. The pepper tree is on my side of the fence line. I have no problem with the bare spots left from removing the pepper tree. The neighbor's property on the other side of the hedge is just a storage/ trashcan area. They have a wooden fence separating their backyard from the storage/ trashcan area. I can always fill in the fence with a fast growing hedge. I just want the pepper tree out. As tall as those pepper trees are, I'm guessing the root system might go on for yards. We already are dealing with an eroding hillside and ground squirrels, I'd hate to have to disturb the soil even more by digging up the roots to all those 20 foot tall pepper trees. This post was edited by gardenweb88 on Mon, May 6, 13 at 2:31

Update - so we're now one month later. The tree guy who normally cuts my trees each year suggested I spray the tree with a Bayer product (can't remember which, but we did this and even though it was outside, the spray fumes made us cough and almost vomit!). I had a "tree doctor" come out and he said it was a combination of excessive heat (we did have two times this summer when we had several days of 115 degrees in a row); plus insects - he found a couple of large exit holes - see pics; and not enough water. Not sure about the excessive heat and not enough water comments as this tree has thrived over the past 28 years. (that said, Thanks to LazyGardens for the info on tree lifespan). In any event, I paid him $220 to inject my two pepper trees with a growth stimulator, fungicide and fast-acting insecticide. Upon his advice, I also treated them with Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub concentrate around the base of the trees. Injection sites Tree 4 days after treatment. Die-back has stopped, tree has perked up. He suggested we wait until cooler weather to trim back the dead branches. Exit holes?