Tropicals > Piper > Piper nigrum > Piper nigrum
Piper nigrum
Common Pepper, Black Pepper
Origin: Native to the Malabar Coast of Southern India and Sri Lanka.
| Family |
| Piperaceae |
| Genus |
| Piper |
| Species |
| nigrum |
| Category |
| Tropicals |
| Type |
| Vine |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 12 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1b |
| Height |
| 3 - 4.5 m , may reach heights of 10 metres. |
| Spread |
| 3 - 4.5 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
click to expand
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| This pepper vine is a tropical plant that is best grown in tropical areas where temperatures typically range throughout the year from 12.7 - 32.2 °C. |
| Landscape |
| Grown as ornamental plants, containers, hanging baskets, and indoors as a houseplant where it will not usually produce fruit. |
| Cultivation |
| The plant requires a long rainy season, fairly high temperatures, and partial shade for best growth, It is best grown in areas with bright indirect sun. It needs a supporting structure like wooden frame or trellis or even a tree. |
| ID Characteristic |
| A woody climber and may reach heights of 10 metres. |
| Pests |
| Root Rot, pepper weevil and pepper flea beetle, and aphids on indoor plants. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| A woody stemmed perennial evergreen vine that typically grows to 3 - 4.5 m tall and as wide, but may reach 10 m tall in its native habitat. |
| Leaf Description |
| Broad shiny dark green to 12 - 15 cm long. |
| Flower Description |
| Tiny yellowish-green flowers bloom in summer on spikes to 12 cm long that grow outward from the leaf stem joint. |
| Fruit Description |
| About 5 mm in diameter, yellowish red at maturity. Their odour is penetrating and aromatic, the taste is hot, biting, and very pungent. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America. |
| Propagation |
| Propagation is typically by stem cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Black, white and green peppercorns all come from Piper nigrum and are used as a hot and pungent spice for flavouring food. |
top