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Piper
Also called Pepper Plants, Pepper Vines
Piper is a large genus of about 1,000 to 2,000 tropical shrubs, herbs and vines, best known for black pepper (P. nigrum). Commonly grown ornamental members include pepper vines and compact shrubs like lacquered pepper, and the key to growing them is warmth, humidity and filtered light.
Piper, the pepper plants or pepper vines, is an economically and ecologically important genus in the family Piperaceae. The genus contains about 1,000–2,000 species of shrubs, herbs, and lianas, many of which are dominant species in their native habitat. The diversification of this taxon is of interest to understanding the evolution of plants.
The scientific name Piper and the common name 'pepper' are derived from the Sanskrit term pippali, denoting the long pepper (P. longum).
Piper species have a pantropical distribution, and are most commonly found in the understory of lowland tropical forests, but can also occur in clearings and in higher elevation life zones such as cloud forests; one species – the Japanese Pepper (P. kadsura) from southern Japan and southernmost Korea – is subtropical and can tolerate light winter frost. Peppers are often dominant species where they are found.
Many pepper plants make good ornamentals for gardens in subtropical or warmer regions. Pepper vines can be used much as ivy in temperate climates, while other species, like lacquered pepper (P. magnificum) grow as sizeable, compact and attractive shrubs with tough and shiny leaves. Smaller species, like Celebes pepper (P. ornatum) with its finely patterned leaves, are also suitable as indoor pot plants.
Higuillo de hoja menuda · Vera cruz pepper · Betel · Madagascan Wild Pepper · Javanese Long Pepper · Cubeb · Piper darienense · Pepper · Kadsura Pepper · Long pepper · Kava · Black pepper
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Piper (plant) by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
