| Pepper | |
| Piper nigrum | |
| a.k.a. Black Pepper, White Pepper |
A green leafy vine growing as a ground cover or small climber. Dried fruits are the black and white pepper of commerce.
Description: A branching, woody vine that is a climber. Pepper can be trained across trellises or can climb other plants, walls, etc.
Hardiness: Hardy to 32F although growth will retard and damage may occur below 40F.
Growing Environment: It prefers a warm humid atmosphere with 50-100" of rain per year and a mean temperature from 75-80F. Blooming usually occurs in late summer or after periods of heavy rainfall. Fruits ripen 3-4 months later.
Propagation: By seeds, divisions.
Uses: Dried, unripe fruits form black pepper, used as a spice worldwide. Ripe, peeled, dried fruits form white pepper, also used as a spice.
Native Range: Native to the humid tropics of southwestern India. Pepper is now cultivated worldwide.