Piper nigrum

Piper nigrum or commonly known as Black Pepper is a perennial flowering woody vine growing about 8-10 m long and commonly found in East Asia. The leaves are thick and leathery, and arranged alternately. It is widely cultivated for its fruits, known as peppercorns, which are usually dried then ground into powder and used as a spice and food flavoring. The fruits lower fever, improve digestion, and can be used as disinfectant. The seeds, on the other hand, is used for indigestion, food poisoning, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting caused by cold, nasal congestion, sinusitis, epilepsy, and inflammation of the skin. The essential oil is used for rheumatic pain and toothache. It is also used in perfumery and as food flavoring.

Piper nigrum is an evergreen Climber growing to 6 m by 1 m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 10.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils. It can grow in semi-shade . It prefers moist soil. The plant is not wind tolerant.

A plant of the hot and humid lowland tropics, where it grows best at elevations up to 500 metres, but can be grown up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 35°c, but can tolerate 10 - 40°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,500 - 4,000mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 5,500mm. Grows best in sheltered positions in semi-shade. Prefers a neutral soil rich in organic matter. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5. Level ground is most suitable for the production of pepper, prov ided there is no flooding, but it is often grown in rolling country or on hill slopes of varying steepness. The plant begins to bear in 3 - 4 years, can reach full production after 7 years and has an economic life of about 12 - 20 years. Optimum yields at low capital input are 6 tonnes per hectare of the unprocessed peppers;2 tonnes of the sundried peppers;or 1.67 tonnes of the washed and dried peppers. In gardens with higher inputs, yields may be 8 - 9 tonnes of green pepper in the first harvest and 12 - 20 tonnes in the sixth or seventh harvest. The root system can be 4 metres or more deep. Flowering Time: Mid Summer. Bloom Color: White/Near White. Spacing: 12-15 ft. .