Peppercorn Plant (Piper nigrum): Plant Care and Growing Guide – House Plants Expert

The Peppercorn plant is also also known as Piper nigrum. They grow in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and produce black, white, or green berries that are dried and used for cooking. There are many peppercorns and combinations of peppercorns, including Malabar pepper, Sarawak pepper, and Tellicherry pepper. However, only one type will probably grow well in your garden due to its easier care: Piper Cubeba, native to Southeast Asia.

What are Peppercorns?

Peppercorns are the dried berries of a pepper tree. They are also black pepper and can be found in most grocery stores. Peppercorn plants are native to India and other parts of Asia but have been cultivated worldwide since ancient times. If you’ve ever used pepper in food, which most people have, you’re familiar with peppercorn. Black pepper used in table shakers actually comes from peppercorns.

Types of Peppercorn Plants & Peppercorns

When it comes to peppercorn plants, it can get a bit confusing when it comes to species and groupings. The genus of piper includes all pepper trees, but there are individual species within this group, such as piper nigrum, the Black Pepper Plant, or piper cubeba. Not all plants in the Piper genus produce peppercorns, but the peppercorns from Black Pepper Plants are the ones many people are familiar with.

Peppercorns are classified into three types: black, white, and green. Although they’re all members of the same family of plants, each type has different characteristics.

Black peppercorns are the most common type used in cooking. They have a unique flavor that’s hot, spicy, and aromatic. These berries grow in clusters along branches that can reach up to 4 feet tall after several years.

Green and white peppercorns come from immature berries picked before they turn red or brown. The green peppercorns are often used fresh or dried as a spice ingredient for seasoning dishes like steak or fish sauces (usually found under “Specialty Ingredients” in grocery stores).

Appearance and Characteristics of this Plant

Peppercorn plants are a type of shrub that produces small blackberries. These berries are used extensively as a spice, especially in European cuisine.

Peppercorn plants grow between 3 inches and 6 feet tall when mature, but they can also spread outwards to be much larger than this height. The leaves are dark green on top and lighter green underneath. They have serrated edges and grow in pairs along the branches. The flowers of peppercorns are white or purple and grow in clusters at the end of the stems.

The fruits that these plants produce are small, round peppercorns that are about 1/2 inch long, and they come from a single large berry with many seeds inside it. These berries ripen from green to red or black when ready for harvest.

How to Grow and Care for Peppercorn Plants?

Peppercorn plants are easy to grow and care for. You can adjust the plant’s growth rate by controlling its sunlight exposure, water supply, and fertilizer usage.

Plant your seeds in a well-draining soil mix rich in organic matter like compost or bark chips. Place the growing medium into at least 8 inches deep and 12 inches wide pots. Use potting soil with added compost or other organic matter as the base of your planting mix. Water your seedlings until they are established. Do not over-water them later on when they reach maturity because this will cause them to rot instead of growing healthy leaves!

Growing peppercorns is easy when you follow a few simple steps. Peppercorns are easy to grow because they come from perennial plants. As such, you’ll only need to plant the seeds once and then enjoy the harvest for many years. Plant peppercorns in full sun and well-drained soil. They don’t require much maintenance, watering, or fertilizing—just keep them moist, especially during their first few weeks of growth.

Peppercorns thrive in hot weather and can withstand drought conditions that would kill most other plants (they’ve even been known to survive fires). Because they’re so heat-tolerant, you can harvest them throughout summer without worrying about frost damaging them beyond repair.

Where to Plant?

Peppercorns are hardy plants, but they do best in warm climates. Peppercorn plants can grow indoors or outdoors but need full sun and well-drained soil. Plant your peppercorn plant in the spring (it will take about two years to produce fruit).

How to Harvest Peppercorns?

The peppercorn plant grows best in warm, sunny areas. If you are growing it indoors, place the plant near a sunny window or under grow lights. The plant needs at least five hours of full sunlight per day to ensure that it can produce an adequate amount of fruit.

Once your peppercorn has reached maturity—about 18 months after flowering—you should be able to harvest some fruit from the vine. Harvesting peppercorns is simple: grasp each berry with your thumb and forefinger and twist gently until its stem breaks off; then pull it off completely by moving your fingers toward each other while simultaneously pulling back on the stem (don’t worry if some leaves fall off). 

After harvesting all berries from one branch, move on to another until all branches have been harvested this season; then, wait for another season before starting again! Once you’ve gathered as many berries as possible from each branch/vine, store them in a cupboard until you’re ready to use them again later down the line.

Common Pests and Other Problems

Peppercorns are susceptible to spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies. These common pests can quickly ruin your pepper plant if you don’t take precautionary steps and ensure its well-being. To prevent them from attacking your peppercorns, grow resistant varieties and keep the plant healthy with regular watering and fertilizing. If pests still become an issue, use a natural insecticide such as diatomaceous earth, neem oil, or a nontoxic soap spray. You should make sure that it won’t harm beneficial insects like bees or ladybugs.

How to Keep Your Plant Healthy?

Peppercorn plants need to be watered regularly to maintain their health. Whether you water them by hand or use a drip system, be sure that the soil is moist but not soggy.

When your peppercorn plant begins to flower and seed, it will stop producing leaves to focus its efforts on creating seeds instead. You may have to fertilize your plant if you notice that its growth has slowed significantly or stopped altogether.

If you notice signs of pests eating your pepper plants (such as whiteflies or aphids), try spraying them with an insecticidal soap solution once every two weeks for three months to kill off most pests in one fell swoop.

If you’d like to keep your pepper plants healthy indoors during winter months when they are more susceptible to cold temperatures and other harsh conditions, consider planting them in containers instead so you can move them around as needed before placing them back into their garden beds when spring arrives again next year!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has properly informed you about what peppercorn plants are and how to take care of them. Peppercorn plants are a great addition to any garden. It can make for a beneficial plant if you cook at home often. They also have a full, beautiful appearance and are easy to care for. With just a little research and some planning, you can have your pepper plant growing in no time!

If you are interested to learn more about plants and how to grow them, you can read about Zebra plants, Panda plants, Rattlesnake Plants, Jelly Beans Plants, Urn Plants, and Cactus House Plants.

Elyssa Goins

Elyssa Goins is an experienced house plant hobbyist who maintains over a hundred plants. She is a gardener, beekeeper, and a proud mother of four.  She is a member of the American Horticultural Society, has a published study in the National Social Science Association, and loves to talk about her love of plants.  For the past twenty years, she’s been all about growing and caring for various fruits, veggies, herbs, livestock, kids, and houseplants. Managing a big garden to feed four growing kids and raising dairy goats has taught her so much about being an excellent plant parent and now is her time to share with you.