Latin name - Piper nigrum

Black Pepper vine is a shade tolerant vine that grows peppercorns!  Black pepper is the most commonly used spice in the world and for good reason.  It has many health benefits including increased nutrient absorption, can improve heart rate and blood pressure, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and enhances the immune system.  By choosing the time and method of processing, all four types of peppercorns - black, white, red, and green -  can be harvested from the same plant!  Young plants can take several years to bloom but they can produce hundreds of peppercorns the first time they fruit.  This is an understory plant, plant in shade with some dappled sunlight in well draining soil.  The growth slows in the winter but it flowers and fruits year round.