Herbs in the Landscape

Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)

Black pepper (Piper nigrum), historically referred to as the ‘king of spices’, is a member of the family Piperaceae and one of the most widely used spices globally. Ground, dried, and cooked peppercorns have been used since antiquity, both for flavor and as a traditional medicine. Black pepper is one of the most commonly traded spices in the world. Its spiciness is due to the chemical compound piperine, which is a different kind of spiciness from that of capsaicin characteristic of chili peppers.

True black pepper plants need a hot, humid, and tropical environment with temperatures above 50°F to 60°F. They cannot survive a hard frost. Most of the world’s supply comes from tropical countries like Vietnam, Brazil, and India. Black pepper takes about 2 to 4 years for a new plant to start blooming and fruiting. Once the vine finally flowers, it takes about 6 to 8 months for the individual peppercorn berries to grow and reach full, harvestable size on the spikes. The vines reach their highest productivity around 8 years of age and can continue to bear fruit for up to 30 years. It is a vigorous climbing vine needing support that can eventually reach lengths of 10 to 15 feet.

The fruits of the peppercorn plant are harvested at three different ripening stages. At the green stage: Pickle the peppercorns, which renders them soft and only mildly spicy. When they begin to turn red: Allow them to air-dry for a few days after picking. The result is the common black peppercorn. When the berries are completely red: Remove the outer red husk and discard it. The white kernel inside is white pepper, which are ground just like black peppercorns. Green, black, red and white pepper are all used in cooking. Pink peppercorns are unrelated and are plants from a different family (Anacardiaceae). They are members of the cashew family.

Black peppercorns have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, gastro-protective, and antidepressant properties.