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Piper nigrum

Family Name:	Piperaceae
Common Name:	Common Pepper, Pepper Plant, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Madagascar Pepper, Lada Hitan, 胡椒, 白胡椒, 黑胡椒

Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) is a tropical vine where its fruits are widely used as spices in cookings as well as traditional medicine. This plant grows well under bright but indirect sun with moderate watering and can be propagated via seed, stem cutting or runner.

Full Sun

Semi Shade

Moderate Water

Herb or Spice

Suitable for Hanging Baskets

Ornamental Leaves

Climber

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Status (botanical)
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Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Climber
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Maximum Height	3 m to 4.5 m
Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width	3 m to 4.5 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Malabar Coast, Malaya, Java, India
Native Habitat	Terrestrial
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Non-native (Horticultural / Cultivated Only)

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	Woody climber.
Foliage	Leaves are typically ovate (egg-shaped) to ovate-oblong (elongated egg shape).
Fruit	Round fruits are botanically known as drupes (3-4 mm wide). Ripe fruits are red, while unripened fruits that are dried turn black.

Cultivation	Grow under bright but indirect sun. This plant requires support such as trellis or frames. Provide plant with well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits Food (Herb or Spice): The dried pepper is used as food flavoring and preservation. Medicinal: In many Asian countries, pepper is used in folk medicine to treat a variety of conditions, such as colic, rheumatism, headache, diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, menstrual pains, excess gas, and urinary problems.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Foliage
Landscape Uses	Suitable for Hanging Baskets, Container Planting, Trellis / Arbour / Pergola
Thematic Landscaping	Economic Garden

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun, Semi-Shade
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance	Fertile Loamy Soils, Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Pest(s)	Sucking Insects
Propagation Method	Seed, Stem Cutting (Tip), Stolon / Runner

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Smooth, Glossy / Shiny

Prominent Young Flush Colour(s)	Green
Young Flush Texture(s)	Glossy / Shiny, Smooth
Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Alternate
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Ovate)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acuminate
Foliar Base	Rounded / Obtuse

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Unisexual Flowers , Monoecious
Flower Grouping	Cluster / Inflorescence

Flower Location	Terminal
Inflorescence Type	Spike
Flowering Period	Free-Flowering

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Green, Black
Mature Fruit Texture(s)	Smooth

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	196
Species ID	5262
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.